URSULA BATTLES ABLEKUMA WEST

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday, April 9, 2016

All is set for the much-talked-about parliamentary primary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Ablekuma West in the Greater Accra Region, where incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is seeking re-election.

The all-important exercise, expected to be held at the Dansoman Divisional Police Command premises, has delayed for many months due to a protracted dispute over who is eligible to vote as a delegate.

There have been accusations and counter-accusations between the MP’s supporters and other executives over the right register for the election.

It is going to be a straight fight between the MP and Roni Kwesi Nicole after a third contender, Theophilus Tetteh aka Theo, a former Chairman of the NPP in the constituency, withdrew at the vetting stage.

Theophilus Tetteh reportedly failed to turn up for the vetting with official information to the Regional Chairman, Ishmael Ashittey, indicating his unpreparedness to be part of the process.

NPP Director of Elections, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, said later that Mr Tetteh had not been disqualified but said he was not going to be part of the exercise today.

According to him, Theo could only be disqualified if he had turned up for the vetting and the committee was unsatisfied, but his failure to partake in the process indicated that he wouldn’t be part of the election.

The Notice of Poll later showed Ursula and Roni are the aspirants in the election.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party approved the impending primary following a resolution of a protracted legal battle over the exercise last year.

Ursula has said she is confident of retaining the seat due to the development projects she has brought to the constituency since becoming the MP.

“I am relieved and very confident that victory is mine on Saturday. I am relieved because it is long and coming and I’m glad that we have a chance to finish preparatory work towards launching our campaign to retain the seat and maximise our votes for the flagbearer and hopefully win the general elections as well,” Ursula said.

“We are all determined that as one people focused with one agenda, we are ready to join forces to retain the seat with enhanced margin and work hard to do even better than we did the last time in both the presidential and the parliamentary elections,” she added.

Roni Nicole, on the other hand, said he was certain the delegates of Ablekuma West would vote for change.

He said he was in a much better position to retain the seat for the NPP in November, saying, “I believe the Lord will certainly make me victorious in the election on Saturday.

“Our party believes in democracy and I believe as a registered voter it’s my right to also want to contest to represent the people of Ablekuma West. I just believe that the time has come to have a new face for the people of Ablekuma West.”

The former Chairman’s supporters took the party to court over the eligibility of some voters whose names were on the party’s album for the election.

He withdrew from the race in disagreement with the NEC’s decision to admit two different registers in the exercise.

Over 1,000 delegates are expected to cast their ballots.