SOME SUPPORTERS of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ningo-Prampram Constituency of the Greater Accra Region are threatening to vote ‘skirt and blouse’ in the 2020 election.
Twenty-seven delegates claim they were disenfranchised in the just-ended parliamentary primary in which incumbent NDC Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Nartey George, won narrowly by seven votes.
They are threatening that in 2020 they will vote for former President John Dramani Mahama as NDC presidential candidate, and vote for anyone other person to become their MP at the expense of Sam George.
Sam George, who polled 407, scrapped through in Ningo-Prampram against Michael Kwetey Tetteh, who had 400 votes. Until the election, the latter was the party’s chairman in the constituency.
The aggrieved delegates are claiming that the NDC prevented delegates from three branches in the constituency, namely Mangoetsonya B, Yoduekope A and Lower North from participating in the primary even though during the presidential primary, they were part of the delegates that endorsed ex-President Mahama.
They said what happened to them during the parliamentary primary implies supporters from those areas are not recognised as members of the NDC.
Emma Ayiku, Mangoetsonya ‘B’ NDC Branch Chairman, told DAILY GUIDE that they do not recognize the party’s parliamentary candidate elect for the area since they were disallowed to partake in the election despite the fact that they were qualified to take part.
Famous Agbanyegah, Yoodukope ‘A’ Branch Executive, also expressed his unhappiness over their disenfranchisement in another interview with DAILY GUIIDE on phone.
“Frankly speaking, I have spoken with all the nine executives to vote against Sam George since we don’t have the financial means to take legal action. We have decided to vote ‘skirt and blouse’ by voting against Sam George,” he said, adding “we voted in the election that brought former President John Dramani Mahama as presidential candidate of the NDC for 2020 polls, and some of us even endorsed Sam George’s nomination form for him so what sort of tactics did they use to disenfranchise us now.”
“You know in an election every single vote counts and judging from how close the results were, the parliamentary primary in Ningo-Prampram could have been different,” he pointed out.
Another branch executive also stated that alienating delegates from those areas to vote in internal party election could put the integrity of the election in question hence they should prepare for a ‘skirt and blouse’ action.
From Vincent Kubi, Ningo-Prampram