Some polling station executives and past officers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akontombra Constituency of the Western North Region, have expressed concern over what they described as growing disunity among the rank and file of party.
They believed that the situation could negatively affect the fortunes of the party in the next election if concrete actions were not taken to resolve the issues.
Speaking at a press conference at Sefwi-Nsawora, Mr Mufthaw Yusif, a former Constituency Youth Organiser, said the once united Akontombra NPP was no more, and attributed the situation to ‘autocratic leadership by certain figures’ in the constituency.
He said: ‘The threat, intimidation and unjustified suspension of party faithful is gradually sinking the party, which must be checked going into the 2024 elections ‘.
Mr Yusif, who picked nomination forms to contest in the NPP parliamentary primary at Akontombra, has withdrawn to support Mr Appiah Kubi Baidoo, one of the aspirants, to win and unite the party.
Mr Baidoo, on his part, commended Mr Yusif for throwing his weight behind him, saying his decision was crucial to present a sole candidate to contest the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) of the area.
‘The posture of some individuals within the Akontombra Constituency seeking unopposed candidate does not reflect the realities on the ground, and is a recipe for disunity, so we must do all we can to save it from collapsing and I am to do that’, he noted.
Mr Baidoo, therefore, implored delegates to vote for him to lead and bring unity into the party to ensure the NPP retained the seat in 2024.
He appealed to the Regional and District Security Councils to ensure absolute security in the run up to the parliamentary primary to help maintain peace before, during and after the elections.
Some polling station executives in an interview with the Ghana News Agency called for an open contest between the candidates as advocating unopposed candidacy undermined democracy.
Source: Ghana News Agency