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Opinions of Sunday, 3 March 2013

Columnist: Jackson, Margaret

Will The NPP Contest The Kumbungu Seat?

…As Alhaji Mumuni Is Set To Vacate It

Ask Margaret Jackson

March 1, 2013

The NPP is on record to have stated that due to their pending Supreme Court case, they will never participate in any election/s organized by the Electoral Commission (EC). The NPP leadership also bluntly stated that they do not trust the EC hence their decision to boycott any elections organized by them. But to add icing to their own bitter cake, the party went as far as stating that even when the party loses any of its parliamentary candidates through death, they will still shun any by-election that may be organized by the EC to fill the vacancy.

This bold but stupid assertion by the NPP came about when two constituencies held by the NDC became vacant as a result of the death of one of the parliamentarians and the vacation by another due to his elevation to the Speakership position. It would be recalled that Mr Ford Kamal, former Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for the Buem Constituency died on Christmas Day whilst Mr Edward Doe Idaho, became the Speaker of Parliament leaving his Akatsi South seat vacant.

But instead of the NPP contesting those two seats which they would have lost miserably notwithstanding, they came out with a flimsy excuse that they were boycotting all future elections to be conducted by the EC due to their pending bogus case at the Supreme Court. That was when they added that even if they lose an MP in one of their strongholds they will refuse to take part in any by-election. Nana Akomea, the ubiquitous Communications Director of the NPP is captured on tape making that statement.

Now another parliamentary vacancy is in the offing. The ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, in a meeting in Ivory Coast have endorsed President Mahama’s nomination of Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni to serve the unexpired term of Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas as Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. Alhaji Mumuni who is the former Foreign and Regional Integration Minister won the 2012 parliamentary seat in the Kumbungu Constituency.

Mr Mumuni won the Kumbungu seat with 18,285 (56.57%) as against NPP’s Abdulai Mohammed Saani’s of 8,523 (26.37%). With his nomination and confirmation by the ECOWAS, Mr Mumuni is set to vacate his Kumbungu seat in the next few weeks or months. His vacation of the seat will leave it open for a by-election in that constituency.

Observers will be keen to watch how the NPP folks will react when the EC official declares the seat vacant and enjoins the various political parties to conduct their primaries for the by-election.

The NPP is self-destructing itself in several fronts. They claim that they are in court to get President Mahama to be thrown out of office because he is not legit, that is why they have boycotted anything of his ranging from his swearing-in ceremony, the vetting of his ministerial nominations and the delivery of his State of the Nation address. But a deputy Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware came out about some few days ago to state that the NPP is not contesting the legitimacy of President Mahama.

Fred Oware’s whose statement shocked political observers did not mince words by saying that the NPP is in court to raise red flags over the declaration of the results by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, who legitimized the victory of President John Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NPP MPs have boycotted any activity concerning President Mahama. But with pressure mounting on them, they are trying to deceive Ghanaians by saying that they will be present when the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Seth Terkper, presents the budget to parliament on Tuesday March 5, 2013. Remember the NPP boycotted the vetting of Terkper claiming he was nominated by an illegal president, therefore, making his nomination equally illegal.

The whole world is encircling around the NPP as holes are being punched into their bogus claims concerning the credible elections held in 2012. It would be a matter of time that the numerous NPP supporters who have decided not to fish for the truth other than what is forced down their throats by Akufo-Addo ,will know the truth. And when that day comes, the truth will sting them very badly.

Let’s wait and see what the NPP will say if the Kumbungu seat is declared vacant. Please digest what’s in the article and keep brainstorming till you hear from me again.

magjackson80@yahoo.com http://majjacks80.blogspot.com