NDC supporters to demonstrate over Abetifi by-election boycott

Some angry supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Abetifi Constituency of the Eastern Region will today, Thursday July 14, 2014 hit the streets to demonstrate against the party's top hierarchy for boycotting the Abetifi by- election scheduled for Saturday.

The Electoral Commission (EC) will Saturday, July 16, 2016, con­duct the Abetifi Constituency by- election following the death of Peter Wiafe Pepera, the New Patri­otic Party (NPP) Member of Parlia­ment (MP) who died last month.

However, the NDC has pulled out of the race on the basis that it's too close to the general election. This has made the party's youth in the constituency furious and threatened to embark on a serious demonstration against the party's executives.

Daily Guide has gathered that the decision of the NDC has created confusion between the con­stituency executives and the party youth, calling for the intervention of party officials to settle the impasse, but to no avail.

According to the leaders of a group called Concerned NDC Youth of Abetifi, Haruna Yakubu and Adinkrah Martin, who expressed their dissatisfaction and disappointment in their leaders, they don't understand why the party didn't explain the rationale behind the decision.

Haruna Yakubu wondered, "Where is the competition when the NDC keeps on boycotting by- elections in the Eastern Region, for example Abuakwa North and now Abetifi?"

The group leaders claimed that some top officials of the party had called on them to keep mute on the matter but they would go ahead and embark on the demonstration.

NDC's Emmanuel Tabi, last month picked the EC nomination forms but didn't file them after the party had declared its intention not to contest the seat.

Currently, four parliamentary candidates from different political parties in the persons of Bryan Acheampong of the New Patriotic Party; Edmund Nkansah, Progres­sive People's Party; Kenneth Nii Quaye, United Front Party and Vida Konadu Enim of Independent People's Party, have filed their nomination papers to contest the vacant seat.