The National Parliamentary Appeals Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has punched holes into a petition against the eligibility of Dr Frank Yirenkyi to contest the fourth coming parliamentary primaries in the Biakoye Constituency.
The Committee chaired by Peter Mac Manu thus nullified the petition which requested the disqualification of Dr Yirenkyi on the grounds that he is not a registered voter in the constituency.
The petitioners, Homeku Christian and Basali Nashiru, both NPP polling station executives, also argued that Dr Yirenkyi is not known to constituents hence would ‘lessen electoral fortunes of the NPP’ in the 2020 general elections should he win the primary.
However, the Biakoye NPP Constituency Chairman, Sulemana Moru, indicated that a parliamentary candidate hopeful, Daniel Korsina, fabricated the lies and herald the polling station executives to tender in the petition.
He explained Mr Korsina was hoping his counterpart would be disqualified based on the petition so he contests the upcoming elections unopposed.
Nonetheless, the Appeals Committee described the petition as “baseless and lacks the necessary ingredients” to cause disqualification of Dr Yirenkyi.
Mr Manu urged the petitioners to drop the case and work together for the common good of the party, as it readies to wrestle the Biakoye parliamentary seat from the National Democratic Congress in 2020.
A member of the Committee, Hon. Cecilia Dapaah, called for ceasefire and unity in the Biakoye NPP and lauded the increasing interest of patriots in contesting parliamentary primaries, unlike previously where the party had to plead with people to contest such positions.
Dr Frank Yirenkyi was appreciative of the decision by the Appeals Committee and urged constituents to disregard news of his disqualification.
He expressed optimism in winning the primaries and assured of working assiduously to win the Biakoye parliamentary seat and increase votes for the governing NPP in 2020.
“I am convinced I will deliver the seat for the NPP in 2020”, he said after a meeting with the committee, petitioners and some Biakoye Constituency Executives.
Nonetheless, the two petitioners who earlier organised a press conference to relay their grievances are facing disciplinary actions for ignoring the party’s structures and putting internal party issues in the media, hence exposing the party to public ridicule.