Tension Brews In Ledzekuku Constituency

By Rowland Phillips-Addo

Tension is brewing in the Ledzekuku Constituency following the recently held primaries in which Sena Golomeke Oketi emerged the winner of the keenly contested event which saw the incumbent MP and Deputy Sports Minister Nii Nortey Dua defeated.

The Al-Hajj investigations following persistent requests made by constituents indicate that certain disgruntled individuals have hatched a calculated conspiracy to play the tribal game which if not contained could be a recipe for disaster and break the NDC’s front in the constituency.

The victory of the onetime beauty queen of Ghana who happens to be of Ewe extraction and who qualifies under the electoral laws of the party and the state to contest elections has brought about obvious cracks in the party in the constituency.

It is alleged that, because Sena Golomeke hails from the Volta Region, some Gas in the Constituency have ganged up against her candidacy on the grounds that she is not a native of Teshie and are allegedly funding the constituency vice chairman of the party to contest the Ledzekuku parliamentary seat as an independent candidate, an act which could split the party’s votes in the constituency and give the NPP an advantage.

According to highly placed party members who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity the brain behind these machinations is the Municipal Chief Executive –LEKMA in the person of Hon. Amartey Mensah who though is said to be an achiever of no mean measure but one who has been eying the coveted parliamentary seat of the constituency over the past eight years or thereabouts. However, when contacted the LEKMA Chief Executive denied any involvement in the matter and affirmed that his love for the party and the government of the NDC is enough evidence that he will not engage in any such act that would place the party and the government at a disadvantaged position He cautioned that those pointing fingers at him must put a stop to it and rather support him to execute the developmental agenda in the municipality and the constituency at large.

The tribal game being played has allegedly led to a threat by the ewe caucus of the party in the constituency to resign en masse, a threat which if carried out could seriously and negatively affect the fortunes of the NDC in the constituency and may have serious ramifications for the NDC in the Volta Region, the party’s foremost stronghold.

Party sources told this reporter that the party’s interest must be supreme and admitted that tribal and ethnic considerations could spell doom for the party both at the constituency and regional level.

They have for these reasons called for the immediate intervention of the Regional Executive body of the NDC to arrest the situation before it gets out of hand.

They cautioned however, that the Regional Chairman, Mr. Ade Coker should not be part of the mediating team since there is an alleged bad blood between the Chairman and the people of Teshie a sizeable number of whom are Ewe settlers and who have declared their support for Sena Golomeke. They further advised that Sena Golomeke maintains a cool posture and desist from making public pronouncements that have the tendency to exacerbate the already tense situation in the constituency.