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Politics of Wednesday, 22 January 2020

Source: a1radioonline.com

You are not known in Navrongo, you only go there to drink ‘beer’- Kofi Adda jabs minister

As the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) is preparing for its April 2020 parliamentary primaries for constituencies with incumbent members of parliament, the political atmosphere is already getting heated up across the country.

The Upper East region which has three MPs coming from the governing party is no exception as some parliamentary candidates have hit the grounds to sell their messages to delegates in order to inform their decisions to vote for them.

Minister for Aviation and MP for Navrongo Central, Hon. Kofi Joseph Adda who is still seeking re-election after serving close to 12 years in parliament has already started taking a swipe at his contender - the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Tangoba Abayage who has expressed interest in the seat.

Mr. Adda in an exclusive interview on Daybreak Upper East revealed how most of the delegates in his constituency were yearning to give him another mandate to contest the 2020 general elections. While describing some constituency executives as “greedy”, the MP said with the help of some few constituency executives, he was optimistic of winning without a shred of doubt.

“There is no pressure from anywhere for me not to contest, my constituents are telling me to contest on the contrary, I’ve gone round my polling stations and they are all so excited me contesting and I will not let it go because there is a lot we have to do,” he said.

When asked about the potential of Hon. Tangoba Abayage, Mr. Adda who appeared frightened by the presence of his contender, said she was not known in the constituency since she has not been involved in any active party activities hence, she will be rejected. He went further insinuated that she only goes to Navrongo to drink beer unlike him who was closer to the party and the people.

“My message to her is that, it is not the right time for her, I’ve not seen her do any serious party works in Navrongo throughout all the time I’ve been an MP… Nana Akufo Addo comes, she comes; they go, you go… Bawumia comes, you come; they go, you go and drink beer and go,” he stated.

Adda became the MP for Navrongo Central Constituency after winning the 2003 by-elections. He maintained the seat in 2004 and 2008 and lost in 2012 to NDC’s Mark Woyongo. He, however, reclaimed the seat in the 2016 general elections.

He once served in the former president John Agyekum Kufour’s administration as Minister for Energy, Minister for Manpower Development and Employment and currently serving in the Akufo Addo-led administration as the Minister for Aviation after his reshuffle from the Sanitation Ministry.

The Navrongo Central Constituency seat is one of the political hot spots in the Upper East Region where most eyes are fixed to know the outcome in the upcoming 2020 general elections.