The incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwesimintsim, Joe Baidoe-Ansah and Joe Mensah, an employee of the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA), will today face off in the parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Kwesimintsim Constituency of the Western Region.
The NPP branch in Kwesimintsim Constituency has not held its primary because of some legal matters.
Messers Baidoe-Ansah and Mensah filed to contest in the primary last year but Mr Mensah was disqualified by the Vetting Committee during the process.
Mr Mensah, who was dissatisfied with the decision of the Vetting Committee, petitioned the various bodies of the party to nullify his disqualification, but he was not successful.
Determined to contest in the parliamentary primary, Joe Mensah took the matter to the court to seek redress and the court eventually ruled that he could contest in the primary.
The Effia-Kwesimintsim Constituency was divided into two in 2012.
The incumbent MP is just about to complete his fourth term in Parliament, having represented the Effia-Kwesimintsim Constituency from 2001 to 2013, and the Kwesimintsim Constituency from 2013 to date.
When DAILY GUIDE got to the popular town of Kwesimintsim yesterday ahead of today’s primary, the Western regional executives of the NPP were putting the necessary measures in place to ensure smooth and peaceful election.
The supporters of the two contestants, who had patiently waited for the final verdict by the court, were optimistic of victory in the election.
Supporters of Joe Mensah argued that Hon. Baidoe-Ansah had lost touch with the constituents.
According to them, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Augustine Arthur would easily snatch the seat from the NPP even though the constituency is the party’s stronghold if Mr Baidoe–Ansah is elected by the delegates for the 2016 parliamentary election.
“If Baidoe Ansah is allowed to run in the 2016 parliamentary election on the ticket of the NPP, some of us will rather vote for the NDC candidate and vote for Nana Addo as president,” they disclosed.
On the other hand, some supporters of Mr Baidoe-Ansah claimed Mr Mensah was once a cadre of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and a perceived sympathizer of the NDC.
“We see Joe Mensah or JM as a mole from the NDC trying to destroy the NPP to allow the NDC to annex the seat. While he sent the Kwesimintsim NPP to court, the NDC parliamentary candidate, Augustine Arthur was making inroads in the constituency,” they asserted.
They were hopeful the delegates would vote massively for the incumbent MP in today’s primary in Kwesimintsim Constituency, saying Joe Baidoe-Ansah can easily retain the seat for the NPP on December 7.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Kwesimintsim