Robert Osei Bonsu (L) with a constituency executive
Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency have debunked allegations by a youth group suggesting that they contributed to the defeat of its parliamentary candidate, Mike Oquaye, in the 2024 election.
Robert Osei Bonsu, who responded to the allegations among other issues at a press conference at his residence at Haatso yesterday in Accra, said the executives of the party at the constituency were alive to its responsibilities before and during the 2024 election, despite the conduct of some disgruntled members of the NPP who worked to ensure the party and its parliamentary candidate lost the 2024 election to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said the claim that the constituency executives manipulated the election process to favour their candidates at the national level during the party’s internal elections, which began with the polling stations, are fabricated and untenable.
He said, “All the allegations levelled by the so-called youth group are untenable. There is no iota of truth in them. They are fabricated and concocted to paint the constituency executives, coordinators, PC and committed polling station executives black in the sight of right-thinking members of the NPP fraternity.”
Mr. Bonsu also refuted claims that constituency executives also deleted names of 600 people from the constituency album.
“It is on record that the group in pursuit of their demands with regards to their alleged exclusion from the internal election processes initiated legal action against the party at Adenta High Court and the Kwabenya District Circuit Court. It is on record that they lost their cases. What again do they want?” he quizzed.
He also mentioned that some members of the party, including Seth Osei Kissi, Edward Sarpong also known Senior Atta, a polling station executive and also an ardent supporter of Adwoa Sarfo, Alhaji Ibrahim, who is purported to be the leading member of the Concerned Youths, were seen canvassing for votes for the NDC parliamentary candidate.
Mr. Bonsu, who also pointed out some of the challenges the party faced during the absence of Adwoa Sarfo and its effects on the 2024 election in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, said Adwoa Safo’s involvement in the constituency activities were nonexistent.
The Chairman stated how the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Adwoa Safo, went to the US without informing Parliament, as well as her refusal to participate in the Municipal Assembly meetings to help address concerns of her constituents.
He said the former Dome-Kwabenya MP, who refused to support the executives of the party, was seen on social media singing and dancing on TikTok.
That action, he explained, infuriated members of the constituency, which ultimately led to the party’s defeat in the 2024 election.
“Hon. Adwoa Safo did not engage herself in any campaign activity in the constituency before and after she lost the parliamentary primaries in 2024. She was absent throughout the campaign period. Several attempts to involve her proved futile, and she refused to return calls from the parliamentary candidate,” Mr. Bonsu disclosed.
He further indicated that all attempts by the then Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Adelaide Ahwireng, Gabby Asare Okyere Darko, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Madam Naa Toshie Addo among other notable people to involve her in various campaigns at the constituency failed, as she rather spent her time in Ashanti and other constituencies in Trobu and Adenta in the Greater Accra Region.
The Chairman alleged that, apart from portraying such behaviour, Adwoa Safo also diverted fabrics and some amount of money from the former Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, Naa Torshie Addo, to the NDC parliamentary candidate, Elikplim Akurugu, and was also found jubilating with the NDC candidate after the declaration of the result in some of the churches at the constituency.
He, therefore, urged the public to disregard all allegations made against the executives who have over the years been committed to the development of the constituency, while assuring the public and members of the constituency of the party’s commitment to work hard to recapture the seat in 2028.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah