Prince Kwadwo Addo Tabiri
The opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, Parliamentary Candidate for Suhum in the Eastern Region, Prince Kwadwo Addo Tabiri is reportedly missing, as his absence is creating political tension among party members in the constituency.
The party members have been registering their displeasure about his whereabouts.
Prince Kwadjo Addo Tabiri, since he was elected as the parliamentary candidate on the ticket of NDC for the area, last year has not been active raising questions about his commitment to the party.
The foreign based candidate, who hails from Nankese in the Suhum Constituency is believed to have gone back to his base after winning the party parliamentary primary to mobilize funds to aid his campaign.
His absence in the constituency has incurred the wrath of the party members who are raising concerns about his whereabouts, as they are on his neck and also chasing the leadership of the party to take immediate action on it.
The NDC parliamentary candidate defeated his main contender, Kofi Otuo, in the party primary who was the obvious choice for the members.
Interesting his contender, Otuo Kofi is gaining popularity in the absence of the ‘Burger’.
Over the weekend, some of the party members in a statement gleaned by DGN complained bitterly over his absence in the constituency.
The statement read “The concerned supporters pleading to the missing parliamentary candidate to reconcile within the constituency executives and other candidates”.
According to the statement, the absence of the parliamentary candidate has affected mobilizations and organisations of the party.
“These are the effects of the parliamentary candidate’s absence, lack of proper organisation, lack of proper mobilizations, bringing a lot of thought amongst members, crippling the way of getting resources for party work, bringing division in the ranks and file of the party. It gives the opponent the undue advantage of getting the people to buy into his ideas, the party lost the trust of the people, saying the party is not serious, and It makes it difficult for the acceptance of the chiefs and opinion leaders,” portion of the statement noted.
It continues that “When all the listed above happens, it doesn’t make the electorate take the party seriously especially in opposition zone as we found ourselves and by that, hinder the process of increasing our support base which ttransforms to votes in elections”.
“As we speak now we have started reaping the effect of the absence of our parliamentary candidate, Prince Kwadwo Addo Tabiri is not in the country and if care is not taken as soon as possible, Suhum Constituency will lose massively to NPP”.
“We are hereby appealing to National leaders of the NDC party Asiedu Nketia and our Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama to act upon our call to make our parliamentary candidate available in the constituency” the statement underscored.
Party Reaction
However, the Suhum NDC Communications Officer, Dove Maxwell in a statement reacting to the development said the reports trending that the parliamentary candidate is missing are false and inaccurate.
According to him, “we wish to inform the rank and file, that, though the parliamentary candidate currently not in the jurisdiction of the country, he is always in touch with the entire Constituency Executive body and the various stakeholders and as well performing his task as a leader of the constituency”.
The statement said, “Before his recent travels, he took time to engage with professional groups, churches, mosques-secondary school students, and communities across the length and width of the constituency which were open events”.
“His absence for these few weeks is to the benefit of the constituency as he seeks to lobby foreign investors to come down and join forces with him to interrelate jobs and alleviate unemployment across the length and breadth of the constituency since this is his primary focus for the teeming youth in the constituency,” the statement indicated.
BY Daniel Bampoe