... as Rebellions Gather Steam in Constituencies

Though the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) emerged from its December presidential congress "united and determined" to secure a third term, cracks continue to appear in many constituencies around the country.

Even ADM editor was recently invited by some party members of the Okai-Koi North in Accra to challenge the incumbent, Mrs. Elizabeth Sackey.

Though the editor declined the offer, Mrs. Sackey still faces serious challenges from other quarters determined to unseat her. This normally safe NPP seat is therefore beginning to look vulnerable.

In Election 2004, Mr. Amankwah took away a good 15,000 votes when he tore away from the NPP to run as an independent, in protest at what he saw as the imposition of Mrs. Sackey on the constituency. Mr. Amankwah's decision was part of what came to be known as voting "Skirt and Blouse". History, it seems, is about to repeat itself.

Vice presidential aspirant, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique, MP for Salaga, may yet lose his seat if the rebellion gathering pace in his constituency succeeds. Winning by one of the narrowest margins in the 2004 elections, any challenge from any member of his adopted party would spell doom for him personally and possibly for the party too in this very prestigious constituency.

His challenger is Alhaji Issah Danjuma, the outgoing 2nd Vice Chairman of the NPP, UK and Northern Ireland. Alhaji Danjuma is currently in the country exploring his options. A source close to him told ADM that Alhaji Danjuma would go independent if any corrupt moves, like buying of delegates, are employed in the selection process. It is a threat, which when carried out would certainly lead to a defeat of the vice presidential aspirant. Alhaji Danjuma's source was quite optimistic that whoever the party fields would retain the seat but not the incumbent.

Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, who made his mark as one of the leading proponents of a Dr. Addo-Kufuor presidential bid, has vehemently challenged the incumbency of Dr. Akoto Osei, the erudite Minister at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning at the Old Tafo-Pankrono constituency. He has described a resolution signed by the constituency's executive endorsing Dr. Osei as fictitious and must be discarded and has subsequently picked up forms to challenge Dr. Osei at the primaries.

The mother of all constituency battles is brewing at the Kwesimitsim constituency in Takoradi where the incumbent, Mr. Joe Baidoo Ansah is facing a stiff, if rather unfriendly challenge from his media colleague, Nana Kofi Coomson, publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle. So sore are the nerves here that Mr. Coomson was recently arrested and charged with fraud for using the NPP logo to canvass for resources to run his campaign. The stakes have been raised very high.

Foreign Minister Akwasi Osei Adjei, MP for Ejisu-Juaben is also feeling the heat as some members of the party in his constituency have started kicking against his incumbency. He complained to the media recently about the unrest gathering storm in his constituency and blamed it on people who did not appreciate his services to the constituency.

And just this past weekend, NPP youth in the Adenta Constituency, hit the streets of Adenta to register their displeasure over the nomination for the position of Chief Executive for the newly created Adenta Municipal Assembly.

The youth, in a petition addressed to the President, said they are kicking against Mr. Aduamoah's nomination because they don't know him within party circles, since he never contributed in any way to the development of the party in the constituency.

The petition, signed by Mr.Daniel Agyei Akuoko, the Adenta Constituency Youth Organizer, said they want somebody who is known to the people and has a good track record to push forward the development agenda of the people.

But insiders in the community who spoke to the ADM said the demo may have been more against the MP of the area, Mr. Opare Hammond, who is said to be unpopular and may face a major rebellion soon as others are picking nomination forms to challenge him at the primaries. There are also hints of Skirt and Blouse should he receive the party's nomination to contest the December parliamentary elections.

When contacted by the ADM, about the weekend demonstration against the new DCE, the Adenta Constituency Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Obiri Yeboah, he said he knew Mr. Adumoah. "They might not know him but I know him very well as a true party man who lives in Adenta. The MP knows him as well. I think the demonstrating youth were disgruntled because the President didn't nominate their favourite candidate", he said. The scene is set for another intra-NPP showdown in this vulnerable constituency.