Opinions of Tuesday, 11 April 2023

Columnist: Dela Coffie

The meddling by Dzokoto and cohorts in Keta must stop now

The NDC flag The NDC flag

The obsession with internal machinations and niche political issues, coupled with the meddling in the processes leading to the May 13th NDC primaries in Keta constituency is quite troubling.

Indeed the troubles are indelible - oh yes, the manner in which one of the aspirants in Keta, Dr Senanu Dzokoto and small clique of unseen hands had held the local party to ransom in Keta has serious implications for politics generally and for the National Democratic Congress(NDC) in particular.

I have no brief for Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah personally, but the actions of Dr Senanu Dzokoto, and his henchmen in attempting to block his candidature even after he was cleared by the vetting committee is completely at variance with our intra-party democratic processes. And I can only ask: why on earth is the NDC eating itself alive from within?

Why is Dr Senanu Dzokoto and his henchmen bent on blocking Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah from running even after he was cleared by the vetting committee to run?

The NDC constitution and the rules of engagement regarding parlimentary primaries is pretty clear on who is qualified to run. And the Vetting Committee in its sitting in Dzodze on 6th April 2023 passed Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah as having satisfied the constitutional provisions and the guidelines for the election.

In actual fact, the very important constitutional provision reproduced as regulations 7:2 of the guidelines for electing parliamentary candidate stupilates that:

"Any aspirant who is dissatisfied with the outcome of his or her vetting shall have the right to appeal to an Appeals Committee of
NEC at the regional level in writing within 2 days of receiving the decision of the Vetting Committee."

The obvious question is: In which capacity and grounds is Dr Senanu Dzokoto appealing the regional Vetting Committee's decision?

The rules are clear; it is only aspirants who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their vetting that have the right to appeal the vetting Committee's decision.

So, how is it possible for Dr Dzokoto to file an appeal against the decision of the Vetting Committee on another aspirant? And we have Dzokoto's cohorts at the national headquarters supporting such an anomaly?

I'm astounded at this sheer reactionary rhetoric.

Seriously, I just can't wrap my head around this kind of madness. I can't imagine anyone who genuinely have the interest of the entire Keta constituency ever behaving like this.

One cannot help but to speculate that the NDC has sunk so low that the barrel-bottom still doesn't seem far enough. So much that no one is able to look Dzokoto, and his enablers in the face and tell them to stop dancing naked in front of the discerning public?

It's trite that the entry of Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah into the Keta race and his popular grassroot appeal has unsettled a lot of people and driving some to the brink, but then again, how far are these shabbier bunch of conniving, lying weasels willing to frolic in the gutters?

At this juncture, It is entirely reasonable to point out that people like Senanu Dzokoto who are ridiculously over-complicating what ought to be a simple enough issue don't seem to actually have any progressive goals - They just seem to exist to stop society from moving forward. Any change is an anathema to them and they will shout down any new ideas that doesn't fit an idealised image of their narrow perspective.

It takes a very strange person to feel that they are so right that they are going to take on the entire constituency in a perpetual war of doing outrageous things and then being continuously aggrieved if anyone kicks back. It seems to me that these guys are deeply addicted to intense conflict.

The NDC have had a longstanding objective of selecting well-known aspirants with grassroot mobilisation and support. Kojo Jones-Mensah seem to fit the bill in this particular occasion and that's exactly what is driving Dzokoto and friends crazy.

Let's be clear here, of all the contenders in the Keta race, Senanu Dzokoto represents the choice that most endangers the stability and future of the NDC in the Keta constituency.

And of course, he and his enablers are wearing different hats and thoroughly muddying the waters by trying to go after a candidate so loved by Keta constituents.

Soon they will begin to blame the Appeal's Committee, and muddying the waters still further.

I shall be back.