‘We are not in politics to contest against ourselves’ – Gabby tells NPP

NPP goes to primaries

Okaikoi Central MP is advocating Fomena MP should run unopposed

Gabby has backed the MP's decision

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the governing NPP, has cautioned the ruling party not to field any candidate against the independent Fomena MP, Andrew Amoako Asiamah.

According to him, any campaign to do otherwise by the ruling party, “will only expose the party as sometimes getting it all twisted regarding why we are in politics in the first place.”

In a post on his social media timeline, Otchere-Darko stated, the party cannot behave that internal democracy is limited to delegates.

He wrote, “We like it and patronise it because it serves as the best means to test the acceptability and popularity of a candidate for the ultimate race: general elections.”

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Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko explained, the idea of having parliamentary primaries is to choose a candidate that will be accepted by the constituents and represent the party in Parliament.

He said, in 2020, the governing party rejected the Fomena MP, but after contesting as an independent candidate, he won overwhelmingly beating the candidate the party field in the general election, and looking at the hung Parliament, the governing party had to rely on the ‘rejected’ independent MP to be come the Majority.

“The whole idea of having parliamentary primaries is to choose a candidate who is acceptable by the constituents (including the generality of party supporters) to represent the party in Parliament.

You deselected him when he was the NPP MP, he ran as an independent and still beat the official party candidate in the next general elections. Not only that. In this parliament of 137-137, it is he who tilts the balance of power to your side.

“What else can seriously matter in this equation? We are not in politics to ultimately contest against ourselves but to win to govern for all,” Otchere-Darko’s post concluded.

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s comments come after the MP for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah, had appealed to the NPP to ensure that the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah runs unopposed in the next general elections.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (24 February), the legislator said the Second Deputy Speaker’s contribution to the party and to the House despite being independent is enormous, which he indicated should be appreciated by the NPP.

He said: “May the New Patriotic Party recognise your support, contribution to the caucus and return you unopposed to run on the ticket of the NPP. God bless you.”