Ama Sey
THE NEW Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Akwatia in the Eastern Region, Mercy Ama Adu Gyamfi Bello, popularly called Ama Sey, has finally rescinded her decision to run as an independent candidate.
She had after losing the parliamentary primary declared her intention to contest as an independent candidate.
She had already bought and filled the Electoral Commission parliamentary candidate nomination forms and was expected to file it this week but she later withdrew from contesting.
This follows several consultations she had from the President, prominent chiefs and the party bigwigs which made her to change her mind.
She confirmed to DGN Online that, top guns in the party, and her church (Pentecost) elders called upon her to have a change of mind.
She said, she will soon meet her supporters and officially informed them.
The first Akwatia female Member of Parliament who dethroned NDC Baba Jamal in the 2016 general elections was seeking a second term but lost the parliamentary primary in June by four votes to a young legal practitioner, Ernest Kumi. The MP had 223 votes as against 227 polled by her main contender in a very controversial contest.
According to Ama Say, there were electoral malpractices during the voting process, hence she called for a recount.
Mercy Adu-Gyamfi told DGN that she rejected the final results because there were four dead person names in the register who had been ticked as voted.
She explained that, during the polls, a lot of malpractices took place at some of the polling stations which brought confusion at the constituency office where the final results were announced but everything was brought under control at last.
After the end of the primary, she reportedly complained that she was cheated, accusing the party machinery of Inserting some ghost names in the party album to vote which caused her defeat, hence declaring her intention to contest the parliamentary seat as an Independent candidate.
Since last month, some posters and banners of Ama Sey, have been splashed at all vantage points in the constituency, announcing her entry into the parliamentary race after claiming that she was cheated in the NPP parliamentary primaries.
Senior Minister
The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo who recently visited Akwatia with President Akufo – Addo told the residents that the rumours trending that, Ama Sey, was lacing her boots to go Independent was totally false.
According to him “Ama Sey and his husband are my close friends. She comes to me anytime of need and I do appreciate her courage to unseat Lawyer Baba Jamal. I have spoken to her when I heard she was planning to go independent and she indicated to me that she has no such dream, so let us all come together and vote for Enerst Kumi”.
The Senior Minister said “If you are a true NPP member you don’t have to rally support for anyone to go Independent. I called Ama Sey on phone to ask her if indeed she was going Independent but she told me it is not true. So I want to entreat everybody to forget about the fact that Ama Sey is going Independent. Ama Dey is not going Independent. Being an MP is not the only work one can do to serve the people. I assure you that Ama Sey will get her share of appointment in the next NPP government.”
The Senior Minister commended the defeated MP for her courage in defeating NDC MP, Baba Jamal in the 2016 elections and stressed the need to rescind any decision to go independent.
President Reactions
Addressing the angry supporters, President Akufo-Addo called on them to remain calm and bury all their differences and support the NPP Parliamentary Candidate of the party, Ernest Yaw Kumi.
President Akufo-Addo on his behalf assured the incumbent Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Ama Sey of an appointment in his next government should he win the December 7th general elections.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that, the MP has been recognized for her hard work to the party ever since his assumption of office over three years ago and that she deserves appreciation for her commitment.
He added the NPP does not support individuals but rather the party, hence the need to vote for the parliamentary candidate, Enerst Kumi to support his government’s agenda.
“In our party, we elect leaders through the ballot. I have contested many times in the NPP. Ama Sey is the MP she has done a lot of work to help develop Akwatia but during the primaries, she lost the election to Ernest Yaw Kumi. For NPP we serve a political party, not individuals so everyone must make the mind to support the elephant family” President Akufo- Addo said.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua