Nii Armah Ashietey, Member of Parliament (MP) for Korley Clottey has entreated delegates at next Saturday’s primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to elect aspirants with the track record for the ultimate victory of the party in the 2016 general poll.

He said the primaries should not be about affinity or family ties, but about a personality with proven record and experience who could retain the Korley Clottey seat for the party.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, on Thursday, the MP, who is seeking be re-elected, at the primary, was optimistic that the delegates would be given the nod because of the contributions he had made to the development of the constituency.

The Korley Clottey primary is expected to be keenly contested with Dr Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, daughter of former President Jerry Rawlings, and Nii John Coleman, a businessman, putting up spirited campaigns aimed at convincing the people to unseat the incumbent.

Nii Ashietey however sounded caution that a precedent should not be set where people would win elections on the basis of who their parents are, arguing that would not inure to the benefit of the party in the long-run.

“I became a Member of Parliament, not because of who my father or mother is. Nobody knew my father or mother before voting for me. I got elected on merit,” Nii Ashietey said, adding that he went through the mill and rose through the ranks to become MP.

“This primary should be about competence, trust, loyalty to the Party, experience, achievements; and about down-to-earth personality, who can identify with the grassroots.

Nii Ashietey, a lawyer by profession, and a former Metropolitan Chief Executive for Tema Metropolitan Assembly, was appointed as the Regional Minister for the Greater Accra Region by late President John Atta Mills in his government.

He continued in this position after the death of President Mills. After President John Dramani Mahama won the general election in December 2012, he was appointed as the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations.

Nii Ashietey said his campaign is moving well and that notes from the constituents indicate that the delegates would maintain the confidence they reposed in him to represent them in the legislature, so that he would continue to build on his achievements.

“I’m confident my track record would make me come out victorious,” Nii Ashietey said.