We’ll vote against Akufo Addo for shunning Opare Ansah – NPP supporters

Supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Suhum in the Eastern Region have vowed to vote against the party, following President Akufo Addo’s failure to appoint the Member of Parliament for the area, Federick Opare Ansah to a ministerial position.

According to them, they are hugely disappointed in the President for failing to acknowledge the efforts of the MP in delivering victory for the NPP in the 2016 election which was keenly contested in Suhum.

The Suhum parliamentary seat has been an NPP seat since the 1996 elections with Frederick Opare-Ansah serving as the MP since 2004.

But the NPP’s dominance in the area was threatened during the last polls with many political watchers predicting that the then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) could wrestle the seat and improve on its votes, due to the masive infastructural development witnessed in the area under then President John Mahama regime.

Ahead of the elections, Suhum experience political violence with tension brewing between supporters of then MCE for the area who was the NDC’s Parliamentary candidate Margeret Ansei, popularly known as MAGOO and Hon. Opare Ansah’s supporters as the NDC was burnt on snatching the seat.

However Hon. Opare Ansah who worked hard to deliver victory for the NPP in both the parliamentary and political election won the seat by polling 25,328 representing 54.95% as against Margeret Ansei’s 20,762 representing 45.05%.

With this performance inspite of the difficulties, his supporters say they were very expectant to see him appointed a minister so he could bring about more development, but sadly President Akufo Addo didn’t consider Hon. Opare Ansah worthy of a position in his 110 ministerial team.

Speaking to Kasapa News, Kwesi Dogbey an organizer in Suhum said President Akufo Addo should forget winning Suhum during election 2020 if he fails to appoint Hon. Opare Ansah as minister.

“If care is not taken by four years time, Nana Akufo Addo popularity and votes will dwindle in Suhum if Opare Ansah’s hardwork is not rewarded. Nana Akufo Addo has hugely disappointed us, we banged all our hopes on him to make our boss[Opare Ansah] a minister. We know the kind of work he put into the 2016 elections and because our boss always mentioned Nana Akufo Addo in all he was doing we were very hopeful that when he becomes President our boss would be fixed and so we also gave our all during the elections sometimes even at the peril of our lives. Nana is in power now, and Opare Ansah has been shunned. I’m a taxi driver and even passengers that I pick in my cab are not happy and bitterly complain about this development.”

Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional First Vice Chairman, Alhaji Omar Bodinga has urged the party supporters to exercise restraint as President Akufo Addo will duly reward Hon. Opare Ansah at the right time.