NPP Primaries: MPs may reject leadership positions in parliament in future – Effiduase-Asokore MP

Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effiduase Asokore Constituency, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie has asserted that some sitting MPs may reject leadership positions in future if political parties do not resolve to protect them from undue competition during their parliamentary primaries

A couple of incumbent MPs on the side of the Majority in Parliament with leadership positions at the committee levels were part of the 40 who lost their seats at last Saturday’s parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Up to chairmen and vice chairmen of some select committees in Parliament lost their candidacies after the primaries and would not be on the ballot in the December 2020 elections.

Notable among them, Dr Assibey-Yeboah who is the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament lost his re-election bid in New Juaben South; Ben Abdallah Banda, the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee was also defeated in the Offinso Constituency.

Chairman of Parliament’s Communications Committee Fredrick Opare Ansah, Chairman of Parliament’s Education Committee William Quaitoo, Chairman of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee Ben Abdallah, Chairman of Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee Collins Owusu Amankwaah and the Chairman of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee Alex Agyekum all lost at the primaries.

Also, Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture Committee Abraham Odoom, Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Roads Committee Kofi Brako and the Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee Ato Panford were defeated.

Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Angel FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com on Tuesday morning, the Effiduase Asokore MP, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie said the humiliating “defeat of a very hardworking MP like Ben Abdallah Bandah could be attributed to the enormity of work he had had to do in parliament, coupled with work at the constituency level, that gave his contender the upper hand to unseat him”.

He said going forward, MPs may shy away from vigorous parliamentary committee work for fear of losing their seats because they may not have enough time to attend to issues in their constituencies.

He also urged all Ghanaians, especially members of the NPP to go out in their numbers to register for the new voters ID card when the EC commences the process on June 30th 2020.