I am not behind Afrifa-Mensah’s defeat, blame constituency executives – MCE

Municipal Chief Executive, Ga West Municipal Assembly Clement Wilkinson has denied being behind the defeat of the incumbent Member of Parliament for Amasaman, Afrifa-Mensah.

Appearing on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM, he refuted claims that there was bad blood between the two of them.

The MCE said just as the incumbent MP came to contest and defeat him in the past, his opponent also came in and defeated him.

He asked him to accept defeat and work in the interest of the party towards victory in 2024.

He told host Kwabena Agyapong that he did not sponsor Yahya Kassim Atta, alias KAS, despite claims to the contrary.

He admitted that KAS came to him to ask for his blessings and as the one who presides over the area gave him his blessings and asked God to great him his heart’s desire.

According to him, he did the same for the incumbent MP, but God, who knows best, decided who the winner should be.

He appealed to party supporters in the area to put the outcome of the primary behind them, forge ahead in unity commit to work in the interest of the party and ensure that the party retains the seat in 2024.

Clement Wilkinson indicated that there is no faction in the constituency and all persons no matter who they support should be mindful of the victory that the party want to chalk.

He also revealed that he was the one who brought Afrifa-Mensah into the political space in the constituency and worked his way through the ranks to contest as an MP.

In that same way, Afrifa-Mensah also brought in KAS who has also contested and defeated him.

Meanwhile, he has blamed the constituency executives as the ones behind the defeat of the MP.

He said the executives failed to do what was right.

He explained that the executives sidelined some people who were grieved and so they punished the MP.

According to him, he ( Wilkinson) managed to work with everyone and did not abandon anybody like the current executives in the constituency did.

“The constituency executives were not supportive. I say this with the explanation that we came to meet the polling station executives and I did not exclude them from the list. I worked with them since 2012 and so when you examine the vote difference between the NDC and NPP was 25,000 in 2012. I also worked with them in 2016, and the vote difference was 120 votes. I managed to reduce the figure from 25,000 to 120 because I was working with the same executives.

They were the ones who knew the electorates and understood the dynamics of the area. What I did helped the party a lot. But after the contest in 2019, we had two factions although I felt it was unnecessary. We should have maintained the old executives at the polling station level. People were shown the red card.

Their suggestions were not taken and so it got to a point everyone kept quiet. So whatever happened in the past is what has caused this. I even advised the delegates to retain him for a second time but they are the ones who are the kingmakers and have decided who should be their parliamentary candidate.”

He added “I had hoped Afrifa would have won but that did not happen. I will therefore admonish party supporters to work together and unite their front so we can win the 2024 general elections.”