The Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have prevented a gazetted Chief, Nana Kofi Nyamekye, from picking the party’s nomination forms to contest the primary.

According to them, the documents were solely meant for active party members who aspire to be parliamentary candidates to fill, but not on wholesale to the general public.

This was made known by the Constituency Communications Officer, Galahad Alex Ando when he addressed a press conference to respond to concerns raised by Nana Kofi Nyamekye, who was denied access to the document.

Nana Kofi Nyamekye, supporters demonstrate

Following the decision of the constituency, officers prevent him from picking the nomination form, Nana Kofi Nyamekye and his supporters took to the streets and demonstrated against the party.

His contention was that the party has not just been undemocratic, but has also demonstrated an open bias towards him.

Party’s official’s position

Reacting to this at the press conference, the party said: “At the time of receipt of his letter of intent two days to the opening of nominations, nobody knew him as a member of the party. His claim that he is a member of the party and an active one is a total falsehood. None of the entire one thousand two hundred and thirty branch and constituency executives knew him as a member of the NDC in Ajumako before his attempted picking of the nomination form,” stated Galahad Alex Ando.

This, the party said, made him ineligible to contest the primary and their resolve not to sell a nomination form to him. The party further argued that Nana Kofi Nyamekye was a gazetted Chief and, therefore, could not be allowed to meddle in active partisan politics.

The executives quoted Article 276 of the 1992 Constitution, which says: “A chief shall not take part in active party politics, and any chief wishing to do so and seeking election to Parliament shall abdicate his stool or skin.”

According to Mr Galahad Alex Andoh, a letter allegedly obtained from the Regional House of Chiefs confirmed that Nana Kofi Nyamekye I, Gwantuahen, was a gazetted Divisional Chief of the Enyan Denkyira Traditional Area, with serial No 3684.

A copy of the letter, which was made available to the press among other things, stated that his serial No. 3684 was approved on the 19th of December 2018 by the National House of Chiefs. “We humbly urge the good people of Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency, and Ghana at large, to ignore [the] attention-seeking Waduudu,” he concluded.

Denial by Nana Kofi Nyamekye

Nana Kofi Nyamekye has, however, denied all the allegations made by the party against him, saying they were unfounded.

In a telephone interview with The Chronicle, he maintained that he had always been a card-bearing member of the party, and had also helped and contributed to the party in diverse ways.

He stated that he was made a Divisional Chief following his numerous and selfless contributions to the development of the area so as to inspire others to also do same.

According to him, he had resigned about three months ago, and, therefore, could not be denied access to the party’s nomination forms on the grounds that he was a chief.

Following his inability to pick the nomination form to begin the pursuance of his dream to lead his party, only one aspirant is on record to have picked the form to contest unopposed.

A check from the Regional Secretariat revealed that Mr Cassiel Ato Forson, the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, was the only person who picked the form.