... As supporters of both parties root for independent candidate

THE CHRONICLE?s sampling among the electorate at the Odododiodio constituency in the Greater Accra Region, indicate that the convictions of the two parties are far from the truth.

The two major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are poised to win the slated by-election, but the supporters of both parties have threatened to demonstrate to them the power of their thumbs and also indicate that their intelligence and conscience could not be toyed with by the executives of both parties.

According to them, both leaders have insulted their intelligence by imposing candidates on them against their wish. ?We are the people who give them power and they need to respect us.

They cannot be toying with our intelligence. We shall teach them a lesson this time round for them to know that our rights cannot be taken for granted,? one supporter told this paper.

This paper can report also that, sections of supporters of the NPP who were peeved about the choice of Mr. Lennox Sidney Kojo Mankattah, son of the late NDC Member of Parliament, have given their unflinching support to Mr. Walid Ayertei Laryea, the disqualified NDC candidate who has defied the orders of his party and is contesting as an Independent candidate.

According to the supporters, the NPP has gone contrary to the party?s constitution, which professes that the party adheres to the tenets of democracy. ?They know what they wanted to do and that was the reason why they have started by announcing that there would be no primary.

How can you pick somebody who was not a member of our party to be our candidate at the time we have marketable and credible candidates in our party? This was unfortunate,? another party member pointed out.

All indications in the constituency pointed out that all was not well with the two parties, and except something was done, the seat would slip from their hands.

Similar to what is currently going on within the NPP, the NDC is also facing crisis as the disqualified candidate refused to step down for the NDC candidate, stating that he would receive a lash from his supporters from Cowlane, Kinka, Bokum, and others if he accepted the call of the party leadership.

This paper has learnt that Mr. Walid who was spoken to by the former vice President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, last Thursday, defied all odds and went to the Electoral Commission to file as an independent candidate after he had assured the ?Asomdwehene? that he would support his contender, Jonathan Tackie Commey.

Walid Laryea, when contacted yesterday, said he was prepared to wrest the seat from both the NDC and NPP, adding that the other candidates from the Convention People?s Party (CPP) and People?s National Convention (PNC) were no threat to him.

He saw no reason to accept the decision of those prevailing upon him to step down while the party hierarchy had done what was contrary to the party?s constitution.

He believed there was no way the NDC candidate could win the seat, adding that the candidate, who is also an assemblyman, had done little for his constituents to enable him get more votes.

This situation, he said, had brightened his chances the more.

Another report in the constituency indicated that, Mr. Alex N. Wiseman, an Independent candidate, is also popular in certain electoral areas and has vowed to snatch the seat from both big parties.

Before the NDC brouhaha, his close pal, Mr. Nii Lante Vanderpuye had stated that Mr. Walid was the obvious choice of the masses, adding that, whosoever he placed his hands on would win the seat.

Speaking in an interview on his choice of candidates, the press secretary of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, the former vice president and 2004 presidential candidate for the NDC, named Mr. Waleed Ayertei Laryea.

According to him, ?He looks the most popular on the ground.?

He however stated that with his blessings, whoever won the primary of the NDC, would give a trouncing defeat to the NPP.

According to him, all indications pointed to the fact that the electorate was dissatisfied with the NPP and this had been exacerbated by his persecution, among others.