Some New Patriotic Party members in the Fomena Constituency believe there are plans to impose Andrews Amoako Asiamah, their Independent MP, as a candidate for Parliament.
At a press conference on Wednesday, they said they would resist any attempts to favour Mr. Asaiamah.
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.”
But as yet, they said they were not aware of any reapplication for membership from their MP and his supporters.
Though they acknowledged attempts by key NPP members to return Mr. Asiamah back into the fold, they insisted that “the party’s Constitution, which is its supreme law, must be adhered to by all party members.”
“It is for this reason that we find it quite strange and absurd that elements within the party hierarchy at the national level are trying hard to circumvent the laid down provisions of the Constitution, in relation to Honourable Asiamah and his close associates, who abandoned the party in 2020 to pursue their own parochial interests, for which they succeeded.”
They further called for more transparency with regard to the Fomena constituency “and the role of Honourable Asiamah in party matters, since he is not a member of our great party.”
They demanded a written explanation from the National Executives of the NPP as to why internal party elections in Fomena constituency have been suspended and clarity on the purported decision to impose Mr. Asiamah as an unopposed candidate.
“Failure to furnish us with responses to the aforementioned will leave us no option but to embark on a peaceful demonstration against the party throughout Fomena constituency in the coming weeks, to demand transparency and accountability and for the right thing to be done,” they said.
