‘I lost because of change’

A sitting Member of Parliament (MP) of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), for New Abirem Constituency in the Eastern region, Mrs. Esther Obeng-Dapaah, says her loss in last Saturday’s parliamentary primaries was an indication that her people wanted change.

Speaking to Today in an interview via telephone yesterday in Accra, the MP explained: “I am not ready to discuss what accounted for my loss...I cannot say l lost because the winner doled out money to delegates to vote for him."

She continued that: "The delegates have decided that a new candidate should represent the New Abirem constituency. So, the most important thing now is that the NPP has gotten a candidate for the 2016 parliamentary election."

The New Abirem legislator was convinced she did lots of work but, “at the end of the day the delegates decided otherwise.”

Hon. Obeng-Dapaah, who was a former Minister of Mines and Natural Resources under the erstwhile Kufuor administration, told Today that she would support the new candidate, Mr. John Frimpong Osei, to retain the seat for the NPP.

Mrs. Obeng-Dapaah polled 215 of the total valid votes cast, while Mr. John Frimpong Osei secured 230 votes to win the mandate of the delegates.