The Member of Parliament for Bekwai who doubles as the First Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Joseph Osei-Owusu popularly known in Ghanaian Politics as ‘Joe Wise’, has openly declared his intention not to contest the upcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries.

The Bekwai legislator who is serving his fourth term in parliament will retire after the 2024 political calendar year.

The MP says he believes he has done enough for his constituents and the party in Parliament hence a decision to bow out for a new face to take over as Member of Parliament for Bekwai.

“I’ll not contest again. I’m making way for a different face; I have done my part for Constituency and it is time for me to rest for another person to continue,” he told Oyerepa FM.

How Joe Osei-Owusu became an NPP MP

The popular former DVLA Boss after an unjustified painful defeat in 2008 NPP Bekwai Constituency Parliamentary Primaries, contested as an independent candidate in the Parliamentary election and won.

He polled 34,700 votes to unseat the incumbent New Patriotic Party candidate, Mr Ignatius Kofi Poku Adusei, who had 8,560 votes out of over 43,260 total votes cast in the parliamentary election.

He was later persuaded by the party to join the NPP in Parliament after meeting the Party’s constitution and Parliamentary requirements.

The MP who rose to become the first deputy speaker of Parliament has since maintained his seat for four consecutive terms as MP for Bekwai Constituency even though he was imposed on the party during the 2020 primaries when it became obviously clear that he was going to lose.

The fear of losing an experienced politician who doubles as the second deputy speaker of parliament compelled the Ashanti regional executives of the party to protect him by making him contest the 2020 primaries unopposed.