Addison’s disqualification: Vetting C’ttee was divided – Nana Obiri Boahene

The deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahene, has said that the disqualification of Mr. Philip Addison, who is aspiring to contest the Akuapem North constituency parliamentary seat on the ticket of the elephant family sharply brought division among the vetting committee.

According to him, while some members were for Mr. Addison’s disqualification, others too were for his approval to enable him contest the incumbent MP, a deputy Minister of Information, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei.

However, Nana Obiri Boahene who led the Eastern Regional NPP Executives to conduct the vetting exercise said majority members who were for Addison’s disqualification won the day but stressed that the decision of the Eastern Regional Vetting Committee does not bring finality to the exercise.

“In NPP, once you are finished with the vetting exercise, you have to send your report to the National Executives for them to approve it in its entirety or amend it. So, once our report has not been brought to Accra for the National Executives to approve it, the decision of the Vetting Committee is now provisional. When they approve it, the Director of Elections will issue a press release announcing all those who have been approved to contest the primaries. So, if you are a candidate and your name does not appear in that release, you then have the opportunity to appeal against the decision of the vetting committee”, he noted.

Giving some details about why Mr. Addison was disqualified, he said some members who were for his disqualification argued that he had not nurtured the party at the constituency level very well despite admitting his contributions at the national level.

Those for his approval on the other hand, also averred that Addison’s contributions or footprints in the party was there for all to see therefore it will not be fair to disqualify him.

Nevertheless, Nana Obiri Boahene said both sides raised valid points to buttress their argument, urging for calm since the final decision rests on the shoulders of the National Executives.

Mr. Addison who became very popular the 2012 Election Petition Case as a result for his demand for “further and better particulars” and Pink Sheets was among fifteen (15) out of 79 aspirants who were disqualified from contesting the party’s parliamentary primaries.