NPP risks another independent in Fomena if Asiamah goes unopposed – Ken Agyapong

Member of Parliament for Assin Central the Honourable Kennedy Agyapong has said the New Patriotic Party risks having another independent candidate in Fomena of incumbent Andrew Amoako Asiamah is allowed to go unopposed.

The NPP said it is important the party allows anyone interested to contest the election and win the mandate from the people instead of imposing a candidate.

His reaction comes after some party members in the Fomena Constituency said they will resist a plan to impose Andrew Amoako Asiamah, their Independent MP, as a candidate for Parliament on the party ticket as a thank you for his cooperation with the party.

They argued that Article 3(9)(1) of the NPP constitution indicates that: “a Member of the Party, who stands as an independent candidate against the officially elected member of the party, or who joins or declares his or her support for another political party, or for an independent candidate, when the party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election, automatically forfeits his or her membership of the party”.

Mr. Asiamah was the NPP MP for Fomena from January 2017 until his seat was declared vacant ahead of the 2020 election after he filed to contest the election as an independent candidate.

“Despite the fact that Honourable Asiamah subsequently won the election and chose to do business with the NPP group in Parliament, there is no doubt that he is no longer a member of the NPP; and neither are his close associates who campaigned vigorously and openly for him in the 2020 elections.”

“Article 3(9)(2) of the Constitution also clearly stipulates that, upon forfeiture of membership, which Honourable Asiamah and his close associates did in November 2020, such persons may reapply for membership of the party and may be readmitted on conditions stipulated in the Constitution.”

Kennedy Agyapong who was instrumental in convincing the former NPP MP to caucus with NPP in parliament believes the best the party can do for Asiamah is to accept him back into the party fully but allow a contest which he believes Asiamah will win.

“Fomena MP Asiamah is my very close friend but the party must open the contest for others to run. That’s what cost us a lot in the past we must not repeat it.”

Mr. Agyapong repeated his claim about the role he played in getting the Asiamah to work with NPP including paying Ghc1,000,000 to former Fomena NPP Chairman to step down as a condition for Asiamah to work with the party in parliament.