The Anchor can report there is a serious but silent turf war going on at the Okaikoi North constituency of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the blind side of many, as two vibrant ladies of the party have locked horns, ahead of the party’s orphan constituency primaries.
Even before the vetting of the aspirants could commence to pave the way for vigorous campaign, two of the aspirants, Afia Akoto, a former deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), and Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, a deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, are already at each other’s throat, throwing jabs and innuendos over who has the supremacy of the area.
Although four others, including the managing editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, Ken Agyei Kuranchie, as well as the former MP, Issah Fuseini, have filed to contest the Okaikoi North seat, the real battle appears to be between new entrants Afia Akoto and Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, which is drawing attention to the area.
Ms Asiamah-Adjei is currently a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the Akropong constituency in the Eastern Region. Her seat is being chased by the director-general of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and former national organizer of the party, Sammi Awuku.
The Anchor’s monitoring of activities prior to the election, slated for September to December 2023, is revealing interesting details.
But until Asiamah-Adjei’s decision to switch constituencies, the two ladies appeared to be good friends and fellow patriots, as pictures of them have shown.
While Afia Akoto prides herself in being the true resident or daughter of the area, Dokua is also seeing herself as the best bet to unseat the National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) Theresa Awuni.
The former deputy MASLOC boss, who is married to NDC’s Chief Biney, calls herself “landlady” of the Okaikoi North constituency and her supporters are projecting the deputy minister, Dokua, as a total stranger, calling her “temporary citizen” or “tenant.”
They argue the latter is not a true resident of Okaikoi North constituency and that she is choosing the area because of the active presence and stiff opposition in her current constituency in the Eastern Region.
They insist the deputy minister will not represent the true aspiration and interest of the constituency and may abandon them in the event that she is voted for, just like she is doing to the people of Akuapem North in the Akropong constituency.
Afia Akoto, who appears to have a large following, boasts that she is the one who has been in the area for years, understands the problems of the people and will always be available for the constituents.
Again, this paper’s monitoring of event shows Afia Akoto and her supporters are also taking advantage of discussion against Dokua’s criticized decision to leave her current seat for Sammi Awuku.
Some supporters and her followers think Afia Akoto is the obvious choice who has lived and has a stint in the constituency. They argue she should be elected to represent the party and the people in Parliament and not someone they refer to as “temporary citizen.”
One supporter posted “Sometyms in selecting parliamentary candidates n MP’s its good u vote for people who have had a long stint in the constituency, who know and understand the plight of the people (esp. party folks), one who has a permanent address, one who rain or shine, is easily accessible. You vote for “temporal citizens” n then later complain of not seeing them. One of the many reasons I support Afia Akoto. The landlady of OKAI KWEI NORTH VOTE RIGHT VOTE FOR ONE U CAN EASILY REACH OUT and she is available. NYAME B3 Y3.”
The former MASLOC deputy CEO, on the other hand, on August 4, after submitting her forms, wrote on her Facebook page, saying “Today, with 720 delegates 280 non-delegates we submitted my forms at the constituency office with a walk from my house to Akweteman. #TheLandyLadyOKN #landlandyokn.
This is the doing of the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes. Thank you to Anahuma, Nii Boi Town, Akweteman, Achimota, Abofu, Anumele and Alogboshi delegates of NPP Okaikoi North. Together we win. The land is taken.”
But Dokua, who is married to fellow party member and onetime Western Regional secretary, Charles Bissue, is leaving no stone unturned, throwing her own jabs in coded language.
She appears to be operating on the quiet, without coming out boldly and often, like her opponent. Since announcing her intention and filing her nomination, Ms. Asiamah-Adjei has been seen in videos campaigning, visiting and meeting delegates in different locations, all aimed at galvanizing support for herself.
Unlike the former deputy CEO of MASLOC, this is not the first time Ms Asiamah-Adjei is vying to be MP.
Interestingly, aside from Afia Akoto and Ms Asiamah-Adjei, there are also two new faces, by name Prince Owusu and Kofi Nyarko, esteemed businessmen, who have joined the race, including the former MP Issah Fuseini and Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie, who have been competing for the seat for a couple of times in the primaries.
But for obvious reason, the attention has shifted to the two ladies, since this is not the first time the two gentlemen are contesting.
Meanwhile, records have shown that MPs who vacated their original seats to a different seat in a different region do not succeed.
In recent times, the only person who was successful was Boniface Saddique Abubakar, who lost the Salaga seat in the north, and became MP for the Madina constituency in the Greater Accra Region in 2017.
More Soon…
Source Anchor
