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Minister Loses Parliamentary Seat |
| HON. Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP for Ejisu-Juabeng in the Ashanti Region was on Saturday shocked to the marrow, as his dream of making a fourth consecutive appearance in Parliament was shattered. |
Hon. Osei-Adjei was floored at the hotly contested Ejisu-Juabeng New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary by Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority.
T. Oliver Boakye, an Accra-based I.T. consultant also contested, but received no vote.
Signs of an impending doom for the incumbent were visibly written on the wall when the Minister succeeded in gathering less than 50 delegates in the lead-up to the congress which was originally scheduled for Friday June 6, 2008.
Although Hon. Osei-Adjei had, prior to the election, urged the delegates to vote for him with the explanation that a vote against him would mean that the entire constituency had rejected President John Agyekum Kufuor and the entire NPP, the delegates’ actions affirmed that they would not be taken in by caution statements.
Delegates openly protested against the interference of Osei Adjei’s bodyguard, saying that he was too close to the ballot box.
The Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Joe Baffour subsequently instructed the bodyguard to allow the process to proceed without interruption.
The order did not go down well with the Foreign Affairs Minister who for unexplained reasons hit back at Baffour, and asked the security capo to leave the Wood Industry Conference Hall venue of the primary at Achiaa Krom near Ejisu.
Robert Yaw Amankwah, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of NPP, then appealed to the Regional Security Coordinator to leave the hall in order for peace to prevail.
After voting, Mr. Aduomi had 95 of the 162 valid votes cast to beat his two contenders, Hon. Osei Adjei with 67 votes and Mr. Boakye who had no vote.
While the winner, Mr. Aduomi and his numerous supporters jumped in wild jubilation soon after the results were declared, Hon Osei-Adjei mustered courage and cautioned his admirers not to do anything that might destabilize the party.
Disappointment was written on the faces of the two defeated aspirants with a number of members of the public expressing worry at the inability of Mr. Boakye to poll even a vote.
The two defeated contenders urged the supporters to come together and support the party now that the primary was over.
Their speeches touched on the need for members of the party to stay united and be supportive in diverse ways to ensure that the party widens the gap in the December 7, 2008 polls.
The two defeated contenders congratulated Owusu Aduomi on his victory and pledged to support him fully to ensure that the party retains the seat.
The elected candidate commended the delegates for giving him the mandate to vie for the seat.
Mr. Aduomi, who was thrilled by the confidence reposed in him, promised not to desert the party and the entire constituents during his stewardship as MP for the area.
The Regional Director of Highways congratulated Hon. Osei-Adjei for conceding defeat and pledged to work with all the people within the constituency.
Mr. Amankwaah blamed the media for trying to create the impression that there was no peace in Ejisu-Juabeng and therefore called on them to always give accurate reports.
The regional chairman maintained that it was about time the rank and file of the party in the constituency avoided divisive, petty squabbles.
The tension-packed election was supervised by officers from the regional secretariat of the party with the Electoral Commission taking charge of the poll.
Scores of armed policemen were detailed to the primary grounds to ensure that peace and order were maintained. |
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