Crisis Hits KEEA NPP

...Following the imposition of regional minister as parliamentary candidate

The Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem constituency of the New Patriotic Party is on the verge of dividing following the imposition of Nana Ato Arthur as the parliamentary candidate of the constituency.

Nana Ato Arthur who is also the Central Regional Minister was nominated by the Regional and the Constituency Executives of the party as the sole candidate for the constituency.

Three other candidates namely Ivan Quarcoe, Ebo Appiah and Agyemang Kensy who decided to file their nominations to contest against the minister claimed they have not been treated fairly and therefore have decided to back one of them Ebo Appiah to stand as an independent candidate.

According to them, when information got to them that nominations were opened, they decided to file their nomination but they were told that the nomination forms were not ready and that they would be informed when nominations were opened.

They said several visits to the constituency and the regional office did not yield any result as they were given one excuse after the other until one of the constituency executives hinted them of the conspiracy to field Nana Ato Arthur as the sole candidate for the seat.

The three noted that the imposition of the Regional Minister does not conform to the claim by the party as being democratic and have therefore decided to come together to back one of them to go as an independent candidate.

They also claimed that they suspect that the regional and constituency executive’s arms were twisted to get the minister nominated as the sole candidate for the constituency.

However one of the constituency executives members explained that the decision to nominate Nana Ato Arthur was informed by the fact that he was asked to step down for Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom during the 2004 elections and therefore he is the right person for the seat as he is already familiar with the terrain.

He denied the claim by the three other aspirants that the decision was not communicated to them stressing that they explained to them why the Minister should be allowed to stand as the parliamentary candidate for the constituency.