Tomorrow’s NDC Primaries: Dark Clouds At Kpone-Katamanso Constituency

An aspirant in tomorrow’s parliamentary primary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Kpone-Katamanso constituency in the Greater Accra Region Joseph AkuertehTettey who is also known as ‘Joe T’ has appealed to members of the security agencies and other organizations who would be detailed to maintain peace and order in the constituency during the period to be neutral in their dealings.

According to him, the ability of the security personnel to stay neutral during the process would go a long way to enhance the peaceful nature of the parliamentary primary, adding that whoever emerges victorious would be seen to have won a free and fair election.

“We have information that some unidentified persons have planned to storm some polling stations in the constituency to create confusion, which could derail the peaceful nature of the primary or the peace in the constituency” he stated in a statement.

“I am therefore appealing to the party to endeavour to beef up security before, during and after the primary to ensure that this one will also go down in history as one of the most peaceful elections ever conducted in the constituency”

Below is the full statement:

We have information that some unidentified persons have planned to storm some polling stations in the constituency to create confusion, which could derail the peaceful nature of the primary or the peace in the constituency.

I am therefore appealing to the party to endeavour to beef up security before, during and after the primary to ensure that this one will also go down in history as one of the most peaceful elections ever conducted in the constituency.

I want to appeal to members of the security agencies who would be detailed to maintain peace and order in the constituency to stay neutral during the process in order not to create confusion in the area.

I call on the delegates to elect a new person to lead the party in the 2016 general elections.

It has become necessary that the NDC changes the candidate it has been using in the last three elections because it is very clear that our candidate, Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, who is the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the area has lost his popularity in the constituency.

Since 1992 when Ghana decided to return to constitutional and democratic governance, which gave birth to the fourth republican constitution, the NDC has never lost election in Kpone-Katamanso whether in opposition or government.

Our indefatigable Hon Afotey Agbo became the MP for the area in 2004 when he won an overwhelming victory both for the party and himself.

In the 2008 elections, he again led the NDC to win 63 percent of the total votes cast to maintain the dominance and control of our great party in the constituency.

Unfortunately, in the 2012 general election, our party, for the first time in its history lost the elections not only in Kpone, which is the constituency head office, but also, we lost in other villages throughout the constituency.

My team and I have travelled throughout the constituency and visited all the 104 branches of our party and the conclusion anybody can arrive at is that the ground is not good for the NDC.

I have worked and continue to work with a lot of people in this constituency and before nomination was opened for candidates to pick their forms to contest the primary, where ever I went in the constituency, the clarion call of the people was change.

But, who will stand to effect that change? If I go somewhere and mention that I wanted to contest against Nii Laryea in the primary, the usual reaction was; eii! Can you?

And I had told the people that I look up, only to God for my strength.

Since I joined this party in 2004, I have worked with people most of who started as youth organizers in the branches and have moved on to become chairmen and secretaries.

If today, they have realized the need for a change in our party in the constituency and they have called on me to stand and bring that change, I can’t disappoint them by turning my back on them, because I love my party, the NDC.

I therefore want to call on the delegates who would be selecting a candidate for our party in tomorrow’s primary to vote massively for me to enable me contest and bring back the glory that the NDC is noted for in the 2016 elections.

I also call on all stakeholders of in tomorrow’s parliamentary primary, which will be taking place in all the polling stations across the constituency to ensure that the contest is conducted in a peaceful, free and fair environment.

All the stakeholders including; the contestants, supporters, delegates, Electoral Commission (EC) officials and security agencies among others have a responsibility to ensure that they play their respective roles well with impartiality.

Furthermore, I call on all my supporters to remain calm and unwavering, even in the face of extreme provocation from our opponents who may be doing everything possible; violence or not to remain in power.

Our opponent and his supporters may provoke, insult and bastardize you because you have chosen to support the fight for a worthy cause, that is, to change the face of the candidature of the parliamentary candidate of our party in this constituency.

Do not engage in any form of violence against our opponent and his supporters so as to take away the beauty of the victory we are about to chalk, because we want to win a peaceful, free and fair elections.

I want to appeal to all the delegates to vote massively for me to enable me contest and bring back the glory that the NDC is noted for, in the 2016 elections.

A vote for Joe T is an assurance that our great party will bounce back and once again become attractive enough to entice all our sympathizers and floating voters to vote for the party in the 2016 elections.

Since the 2016 general election is a must win for the party to enable His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama to remain in power to continue with the good work he has already started to change the lives of our brothers and sisters in this country, we need more votes from all the constituencies.

If we are unable to win massively to garner every single vote to propel our dear President to victory in 2016, we will be doing a disservice to ourselves and the good people of this country.

Signed………………………………

Joseph Akuerteh Tettey, aka Joe T

Aspirant, Kpone-Katamanso NDC parliamentary primary