As the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) opens nominations in constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), influential member of the party and cousin of the president, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has offered advice on how to protect these incumbent MPs.

In his view, the only way to protect these MPs as they challenge others in the primaries will be through the MPs own desirable deeds, through persuasion and following the established rules of conducting such activities - warning that any other attempt to protect these MPs will be “unwise”.

Recently the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi declared that some sitting MPs were going to go unopposed in the party’s April 25 parliamentary primaries.

His declaration led MP for Bantama Hon. Daniel Okyem Aboagye to kneel publicly and beg the chairman to be considered as part of the MPs tipped to go unopposed.

The MP’s action caused some controversy but he insisted that even President Akufo-Addo begged publicly for votes.

Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s warning seems to be targeted at influential persons who may seek to use unconventional or brute ways to suppress competition and have their preferred candidates sail through.

Meanwhile, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffour is challenging sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Ashanti Region to open themselves up for contest if they trust they have indeed performed.

He is of the view that it is through same means they won their parliamentary primaries and went ahead to win the elections before becoming MPs yet are pushing to be allowed to go unopposed in the party’s April 25 parliamentary primaries.

“NPP is a democratic party and not for dictatorship. If my parents supported the party and contributed to its growth like I did and I want to contest as an MP to support why will someone want to stop me?, he quizzed.

The added “we sacrificed our lives for the party and everybody has a right to stand for an election in the party and be voted for. If you are barring people from contesting, you are preventing them for exercising their constitutional rights. We have to be extremely careful”