Shama NPP supporters demand fresh primary

Shama (W/R), May 28, GNA - Hundreds of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters in the Shama constituency on Tuesday staged a massive demonstration against the acclamation of Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah as the party's parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

They presented a petition to the Regional NPP Chairman, Nana Owusu Ankomah, through the Shama District Chief Executive Mr. Joseph Amoah. It was signed by Mr. S. K. Arthur-Fosu, coordinator of the demonstration, Mr. Kwesi Ackom and Samuel Addou both polling station chairmen.

The petition demanded that the primaries held on 29th April that endorsed Mrs Baiden-Amissah as the area' parliamentary candidate should be declared null and void.

It called for a fresh primary to give equal chance to the other contestant, Mr. Samuel Erickson Abakah.

The petition claimed that even though Mr. Abakah filed his nomination and was screened by National Vetting Committee no result was relayed to him.

It said the endorsement of Mrs Baiden-Amissah as the sole contestant was unconstitutional and demanded a fresh primary to ensure fairness. The petition said their decision to demonstrate stemmed from the fact that an earlier 31-point petition presented to the Regional Executive Committee of the party to resolve the issue was ignored. The demonstrators, clad in red, carried placards and danced to brass band music through the streets of Shama.

Some of the placards read "No fresh primaries no vote", "Baiden-Amissah are you afraid of the lawyer?", and "the lawyer is the candidate we like.""

Mr. Amoah, who is also the constituency chairman of the party, received the petition and promised to submit it to the regional chairman of the NPP.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency later Mr Amoah said Mr. Abakah was unable to prove his membership of the party to the vetting committee. The vetting therefore declared Mrs Baiden-Amissah as the sole candidate for the constituency.

Mr. Amoah appealed to the NPP supporters in the constituency to remain calm while an amicable solution was found to the problem.