Who killed Baah-Wiredu?

Scramble for Baah-Wiredu’s seat

A fierce scramble for the Asante Akyem North constituency parliamentary seat made vacant following the shocking death of incumbent, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu barely 24-hours ago, has sparked angry protests.

Baah-Wiredu, Finance Minister and MP for the area for three consecutive terms, died suddenly on Wednesday in South Africa where he was seeking medicare.

A group of New Patriotic Party supporters in his constituency, angered by the ‘too-soon-scramble’ to replace the man described by all as the most affable minister in Ghana’s recent politics, carried placards that raised suspicion the someone may have had a hand in the MP’s death.

“Who killed Baah-Wiredu?”, “No Baah-Wiredu, no MP” and others that named and accused certain personalities as having vested interest in the constituency seat were some of the massages carried on the placards.

The protests coincided with a visit of New Patriotic Party presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, who paid a visit to the family of the late minister to commiserate with them.

According to Joy News correspondent, Sampson Lardi Ayenini who witnessed the encounter, police tried to restrain the protesters and seized some of the placards they thought were in bad taste.

Nana Asabre, the NPP’s constituency chairman confirmed there were expressions of interest in the seat and that the party constituency executives would meet on Thursday to plan a primary to replace him.

“Well people have expressed interest. Somebody like Kwasi Hammond and a woman from London and these are the two names that ring in my ears. They have expressed interest.”

Nana Asabre said the vacuum created by Baah-Wiredu’s demise needs to be filled and even though the late minister was such a stalwart politician, the party is stronger and would overrun any opposition interest and attempt to capture the seat from the party, not even the National Democratic Congress, the main opposition.

“Not at all. It’s the party that is strong in Asante Akim, not the personality. Although Kwadwo was very strong, yet the party was stronger than Kwadwo.”