General News of Thursday, 23 August 2012

Source: Daily Guide

Twumasi Appiah Floored

FELIX TWUMASI Appiah, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sene Constituency has lost the bid to go for another term, losing to his main contender Kwame Ampofo Twumasi amidst jubilation in Kwame Danso.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that a number of 259 delegates were to participate yesterday in the primary held in the capital of the newly created Sene West constituency, Kwame Danso.

Kwame Ampofo Twumasi polled 145, while the incumbent MP, Twumasi Appiah had 83 votes, with Abdul Mahamud taking the third position with 27 votes.

In all, three votes were rejected while one person was absent.

Felix Twumasi Appiah has been the MP for Sene for 12 years, serving a four-year term each for three consecutive terms.

Sources said his failure to get the nod from his constituents for the fourth time might have resulted from the prevalent poverty in the area.

The Sene constituency is one of the most deprived areas in the Brong Ahafo Region even though it is among the food baskets of that region.

Sene is well known for its organic yam production and several other tubers.

During rainy seasons, most of its villages and towns become inaccessible due to bad roads.

The whole of Sene is said to have gone agog when indigenes heard that Kwame Ampofo Twumasi had won the primary.

However, with barely four months to the December 2012 general elections, supporters of the vociferous MP claim it is too short a time for a new candidate to make any meaningful gains in December for the NDC.

Twumasi Appiah is a ranking member on a number of parliamentary committees including Roads and Transport, Defense and Interior and Appointments amongst others.

Twumasi Appiah is not alone, as Akua Sena Dansua, the Tourism Minister, also lost in her bid to contest again for the North Dayi Constituency seat.

She lost with 87 votes against the winner lawyer George Loh’s 99 votes.

Mr. Loh was a legal advisor to former Attorney General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu.

Prince Jacob Hayibor, MP for Hohoe North Constituency, lost too. He polled only three votes against 257 votes claimed by Dr. Bernice Adiku-Heloo, a 57-year old Development Consultant.