Zam R. Samin
28 August 2008
Tanokrom — Last weekend's parliamentary primary to elect a candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency has finally ended with the election of an unknown Maritime Administrator from Takoradi Polytechnic, Ambrose Sessah Ankrah and this has sparked immediate angry protests from the party.
Surprisingly, a similar groundswell of opposition greeted the election of Mr. Joe Baidoo Ansah of the NPP and generated similar sentiments, with the electorate swearing to vote 'skirt and blouse' in the upcoming elections if they do not get the right candidate.
Unless something dramatic happens, the beneficiary of the popular sentiments in the constituency will be Mr. Joseph Abakah, the Convention People's Party candidate for the constituency. The aggrieved electorate of the ruling NPP and the minority NDC in the Effia-kwesimintsim constituency in the western region are calling for a political messiah to rescue the constituency from greedy politicians. Their reason for the call, they said, is because of the lack of development in the constituency and bad leadership witnessed by the constituency in the last few years.
In their spirited attempt to effect change, their best effort appears to have hit the rocks.
First, it was the NPP that conducted their parliamentary primaries to elect a good candidate for the constituency. But that could not yield results, as the party used every available power to force the incumbent MP, Hon. Joe Baidoo Ansah on the people at an election that many political observers lampooned and described as a sham, mockery to Ghana's democracy and disgrace to the NPP, which touts their belief in the rule of law.
In the NDC, the election was democratic, but it could not have passed without comments, grumbling and petulant insinuations. Though, Mr. Ambrose Sessah Ankrah, 43, a Maritime Administrator, beat his fellow contenders with a wide margin. His election, the party followers insist, is not in the best interest of the constituency. This is because he is not only new in politics, green to the electorate and unknown even to members of the NDC
He polled 100 votes out of a total of 189 against his contenders, Messrs Samuel Ankarah 44, Reverend Minister Mr. Nyarko who had 66 votes and Ms. Basilia Daadnne, a 56 year old teacher who had 22 votes.
The election was supervised by Madam Ernestina O. Banahene, the Effia-kwesimtsim and Takoradi district officer of the electoral commission.
The electorates said, despite their defeat, the two NDC candidates have worked, lived in the constituency, upheld the values of the NDC and should have been considered by the party big wigs. They threatened to vote for Mills but not vote for him for the parliamentary seat, and longed for a political messiah to come and represent them in the constituency.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ankrah, after the election promised to unite the NDC in the constituency. He also promised to work with the defeated candidates to make sure they defeat the incumbent MP and wrestle the seat from the governing NPP.
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