Forty-three to contest NPP primaries in Volta

A total of 43 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary aspirants, including five women have been vetted to contest the Party’s primaries in orphaned constituencies in the Volta region.

Mr Frederick Fredua Anto, Second Vice National Chairman of the Party who disclosed this to journalists in Ho said the vetting Committee declared four aspirants unopposed.

They are; Mr John Peter Amewu, Energy Minister, for the Hohoe Constituency; Mr Simon Peter Kofi Owusu, for the Akatsi North; Mr Raybon Evans Anyadi of Adaklu and Mr Prosper Pi-Bansah for the Ho Central constituencies

He said by Article 12 of the Party’s Constitution, aspirants for such positions must be active members for at least two years in good standing, owe no allegiance to another country and have honoured their tax obligations religiously.

Mr Anto said the Vetting Committee had no capacity to disqualify any aspirant at this level and that the aspirants had up to August 17 to be declared legitimate to contest from the National Vetting Committee with an appeal corridor available to contest adverse findings.

He said majority of the aspirants were Municipal and District Chief Executives, who had become the face and liaison for the Party.

Mr Anto said constituencies with Members of Parliament would have their turn soon with a requirement that MMDCEs interested to contest such seats would principally resign their positions to be legitimate to contest.

He said the Party was targeting some four Parliamentary seats in the 18 constituencies with 40 per cent of votes in the region and optimistic that government’s flagship interventions would tilt political fortune towards the Party.

In a related development, the Vetting Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region also cleared 60 aspirants to contest the Party’s primaries in the region, slated for August 24.

The Convention People’s Party and other smaller parties are yet to make themselves visible in preparation for the 2020 general elections.