Aspiring NPP Candidate is British

The self-destructive bug that hit the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a situation which political analysts believe contributed to the party's defeat in the 2000 general elections, seems to have infected the ruling NPP government.

And as if incumbency in itself is an infectious virus, the NPP primaries, reminiscent of that of the then incumbent NDC, is characterised by personality clashes, vitriolic attacks against opponents and protests against the candidature of some of the aspiring candidates.

By far what is most agitating the minds of many of the NPP faithful, is the political "red card" shown against the eligibility of Major (R'td) Edward Yirimambo, as the NPP 's parliamentary candidate, for the Wa Central Constituency.

In a petition to the national executive of the NPP, a section of the party's members in the Wa Central Constituency stated categorically that the retired Major is British citizen.

The group said "following the 1979 AFRC coup d'etat, the said retired Major left Ghana and eventually sought and obtained asylum in Britain.

For well over 20 years now he has been resident in Britain. There is every indication that the retired Major finally applied and obtained British citizenship".

The group disclosed that there was every indication that Major (R'td) Yirimambo at the time of filing the application to contest the NPP primaries had ceased to be a Ghanaian.

The petition therefore reminded the leadership of the NPP of the inherent danger in accepting the application of Major (rtd) Yirimambo for consideration as Parliamentary Candidate for the Wa Central seat.

The group contended that by "virtue of Article 8(1) of the 1992 Constitution he has ceased to be a Ghanaian Citizen".

The said article states: "8(1) subject to this article, a citizen of Ghana shall cease forthwith to be a Citizen of Ghana if on attaining the age twenty-one years he, by voluntary act, other than marriage acquires or retains the Citizenship of a country other than Ghana".

"At the time the retired Major left Ghana and sought political asylum and eventually applied and obtained British citizenship he was more than 21 years old. If therefore the retired Major has ceased to be a citizen of Ghana then he is not qualified to be a member of the NPP because article 3(1) of the NPP Constitution restricts membership of the Party to only Ghanaian citizens", the group maintained.

"Therefore", the group argued "if the retired Major is not a Ghanaian Citizen then under Article 94(2) (a) of the 1992 constitution he is not qualified to be member of Parliament.

The said article-94 (2) (a) states: "A person shall not be qualified to be a Member of Parliament if he:- (a) owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana. Since as a British citizen the retired Major owes allegiance to Britain, he does not qualify to be a Member of Parliament in Ghana.

Signals picked up from the Western Region and other regions indicate that Health Minister, Dr. Kweku Afriyie who is aspiring for the Sefwi Wiawso constituency on the ticket of the NPP is being undermined by his closest challenger, one Lawyer Kwesi Blay.

The Independent is privy of some letters being circulated by Mr. Blay and his supporters to discredit the Health Minister.

Although Dr. Afriyie denied every wording of the said letter when The Independent called on him to comment on the contents of the letters.

Dr. Afriyie however said he was aware that his opponent who is so scared of his (Afriyie's) candidature is resulting to the cheap below the belt exercise to discredit him.

The Minister disclosed that the said Kwesi Blay at one of the party's meetings at Sekondi told party members that he would adopt any means possible to win the seat, which since 1996, he has competed for and lost to the NDC.

The Health Minister was not the least perturbed and assured his supporters that the elections at the primaries will settle for once who is who between the two.

In Central Region, The Independent gathered that the purported attack on the personality of Regional Minister, Isaac Edumadze is due to erroneous perception that the Minister is backing some aspiring candidates who are not in the favourable books of those agitating for the removal of Mr. Edumadze.

Other areas like the KEEA Constituency, where the NPP hierachy are all for the candidature of Energy Minister Papa Kwesi Nduom, is also seething with strong resentment from the local constituency branch of the NPP.

Credible sources have hinted The Independent that some members of the Constituency branch of the NPP have resolved not to support Dr. Nduom, if the Energy Minister runs on the ticket of the CPP.

"The claim by some constituents is that should Dr. Nduom insist on standing for the CPP, the NPP would have no option but to back the DCE for the KEEA district, Ato Arthur.

From the Ellemble Constituency, we gathered that the candidature of the First Deputy Speaker, Freddie Blay, is far from resolved because some elements in the Constituency branch of the NPP, have vowed to ditch the CPP man if he refuses to stand on the ticket of the NPP.

The picture is no different from the Ada, Mion and the Evalue Gwira Constituencies where the CPP was under the impression that with the kind of support their candidates enjoy in those constituencies, the field would have been left free for them by the NPP candidates.