The sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem in Western Region who is seeking re-election, George Mireku-Duker, has descended heavily on some NPP bigwigs in the Constituency.

His action follows what he says are attempts by these bigwigs to bring a mole to contest him in the party's parliamentary primaries.

According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not for sale and that he will not allow the NDC to sponsor anybody to contest him in the party's parliamentary primaries.

Mr. George Mireku-Duker became the MP for the area in 2016 after beating the longest-serving Member of Parliament in the history of this country, Mrs. Eugenia Kusi in NPP's parliamentary primaries in 2015.

Mr. Mireku-Duker had the highest votes in Western Region in 2016 parliamentary elections of 42,594 as against the NDC parliamentary candidate, Comedian Kwame Dzokoto who polled 24, 044 votes.

He made the statement before over 1,000 delegates and party sympathizers after submitting his nomination forms to the Tarkwa-Nsuaem NPP Constituency Parliamentary Election Committee at the party office at Tarkwa Market Circle to lead the party to Parliament for the second time.

He was in the company of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa East, Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfantseman Constituency, Hon. Ekow Quansah Hayford, Council of Elders of the party, Executives of Friends of Mireku Duker, Executives of TESCON branch at UMat, the media among others.

Amid dancing and drumming, hundreds of delegates, clad in party outfits bearing his portrait, joined Mireku Duker at the party office, as he presented bankers draft of GHC20,000, passport pictures, CV and other requirements to complete his task.

Addressing the enthusiastic gathering, Mr. Mireku Duker claimed the opposition National Democratic Congress in the area was sponsoring someone who according to him is not an NPP member to contest him in the party's parliamentary primaries.

"...NPP is not for sale, NPP is not for sale, NPP is not for sale, NPP is not for sale, NPP is not for sale", he chanted.

He said the NDC fear him so they were looking for a weak candidate to beat hence their involvement in the NPP parliamentary primaries.

"Because the NDC in Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency fear me, anytime they go on radio stations, they attack me and they are championing for a mole to contest in our primaries so that when the person wins then they can beat the person easily but I want to tell them that the person they are rooting for is not a committed member because we didn't see the person in 2016. When I and the late Chairman and others were moving to hinterlands to campaign, we didn't see them, the NDC should tell the person to use his or her money to do different things but not contest in the NPP Parliamentary primaries", he stated.

He emphasized that he was going to increase the 2016 vote difference from 20,000 to 30,000 come December 7 parliamentary election and also increase the votes of President Akufo-Addo.

"I am saying that the 20,000 votes gab we gave to the NDC in Tarkwa-Nsuaem, this year's election we are going to open the gab to 30,000", he said.

"NDC know that we NPP are coming, shame unto those NPP who have turned themselves as NDC members, they are now Judas in NPP, shame unto those Judas in NPP. We will not allow NPP to collapse in Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency here," he added.

He said he would continue to serve the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency with humility and be God-fearing and therefore called on them to rally behind him and President Akufo-Addo.

The MP touted government's achievements in the Constituency and said resident Akufo-Addo deserves another term to do more.

"...the good people of Tarkwa-Nsuaem were saying they need development and we have done so many things here, we have brought Free SHS, we have restored allowances for Teachers and Nurses, we have also brought NABCO to reduce unemployment , we have revamped Tarkwa-Takoradi railway lines and today we can use train", he listed.

He mentioned some deplorable roads in the area and pledged government's readiness to fix those roads.

He also promised to construct a school at Nsuaem to produce future leaders in the area, he urged "be patient with me and the NPP government".

Mr. Mireku Duker didn't spare the NDC Parliamentary candidate called, Justice Abban alias DJ.

He stressed that Parliament was a serious business but not for anybody.

"Parliment is a serious business, not everybody can go to Parliament so we can't entertain any mediocrite in Parliament. We are serious Ghanaians (NPP) and we are determined to push the development of this country forward and we are not going to sell our NPP party to anybody", he heated up.

He concluded, "...I want to send this signal to the NDC Parliamentary candidate that we are ready and we are coming after them and the gap will be widened because we are not to joke in Parliament".

The two MPs who accompanied Hon. George Mireku-Duker to submit his forms, Hon. Kojo Asemanyi, Gomoa East MP and Hon. Ekow Quansah Hayford, Mfantseman West MP in their speech, thanked the delegates for such a stupendous show of loyalty and commitment towards Hon. Duker and NPP.

They also eulogized Hon. Duker's quality representation in Parliamentary duties and touted his ability to perform his role, as well as his enviable role of leading Young MPs in Ghana.

They concluded by admonishing the delegates to work tirelessly to ensure that, Hon. George Mireku Duker is re-elected for a second term.

They charged the delegates not to make a mistake by selling the NPP party to any mole who wants to contest Hon. Mireku Duker.

Background

The NPP has opened nomination forms for their sitting Members of Parliament and the party is expected to hold its parliamentary elections on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

The NPP has I69 sitting Members of Parliament out of the total 275 seats in Parliament.

The party has already elected more than 95 Parliamentary candidates who would be contesting on its ticket in orphan constituencies (areas the party does not have sitting MPs).

The same April 25, 2020 date would also be used to elect a flagbearer for the party for Election 2020.

The opening of the nomination forms would close on February 20, 2020.

The prospective aspirants in the 169 Constituencies are expected to be vetted from February 28, 2020, to March 8, 2020.