Constituency Secretary Brutalized With Bottle

But for the timely intervention of the police, the New Edubiase constituency Secretary of the NPP would have been lynched by supporters of Mr. De-Graft Kyei Baffour, an NPP Parliamentary aspirant for the area.

The thugs of Mr. DE-Graft assaulted the constituency Secretary, Mr. Anthony Appiah and and hit his head with bottles and other gadgets as they prevented him from entering the hall where the constituency primaries were being held. This how of naked violence happened in front of the Adansi South district headquarters of the Police.

The brutalities followed violent clashes which had earlier broken out between supporters and polling stations chairmen supporting Mr. Asafo Agyei, a building consultant and De-Graft Kyei Baffour respectively. The violent clash was triggered when the news got to supporters of Mr. Justice Asafo Agyei that their candidate was disqualified from contesting in the primaries. About 70 polling station executives boycotted the election based on the fact that Mr. Asafo Agyei was prevented by the National Chairman of the NPP, Peter Mac Manu, from contesting the election.

Narrating his ordeal to journalists at New Edubiasi, Mr. Richard Osei a special assistant to Mr. Asafo Agyei, accused Mac Manu of having taken over ¢200 million from the DCE of Adansi South, Hon. Francis Dorpenyo, who was one of the contenders and in view of that, tried to impose him on the People. He said he was ready to prove the allegation anywhere he would be called since he has evidence backing his statements.

Mr Asafo Agyei was prevented from contesting the Primaries on the grounds that he acquired his NPP membership card only nine months ago. Meanwhile, information on the ground is that the DCE himself had his only in December last year. The Petition according to him was sent to both the regional and National executives of the party but all failed to act upon it.

In an interview with the Lens, the embittered Asafo Agyei said Mac Manu called him to his office, sometime last year and insisted that he should step down for the DCE because the latter can win the seat for the party; but Asafo Agyei said he refused to heed the advice of Mac Manu, hence the subsequent orchestrated disqualification.

Meanwhile, out of the 35 delegates who voted at the primaries, Mr De-Graft Kyei Baffour secured 34 votes making him the winner while the DCE, Francis Dorpenyo had only one vote. About 70 polling station executives boycotted the election on grounds that Party chairman Mac Manu’s conduct against their favourite, Asafo agyei, was immoral.

Word among the polling station chairmen is that there is no way the NPP is going to win the New Edubiasi seat with De-Graft Kyei Baffour as candidate, so long as they remain executives of the polling stations.