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There is growing tension among members of the ruling National Democratic Congress over the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), with some members agitating and opposing candidates who allegedly orchestrated the near defeat of the incumbent Member of Parliament in the recently held 2024 elections.
According to the aggrieved party members, they are very disappointed and angry that these same individuals will be presented for vetting for consideration for the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), adding that it will aggravate the wounds of Hon Kofi Arkoe Nokoe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency, in the course of his work.
Madam Augustina Tabuah Kwofie, a former parliamentary candidate and wife of the Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency chairman, Mr Emmanuel Annor-Kofi, was accused of masterminding and facilitating the near defeat of the incumbent Member of Parliament Hon Kofi Arkoe Nokoe in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
According to sources close to the party’s constituency office in Axim, the livid couple, thus the current chairman (Emmanuel Annor-Kwofie) and his wife (Madam Augustina Tebuah Kwofie), after losing the parliamentary primaries to Hon Kofi Arkoe Nokoe, promised to make every effort to defeat the Member of Parliament.
The couples were accused of arranging hooligans to boo and humiliate prominent party members in the western area. Nana Toku, the regional chairman, was dubbed a ‘fool’, stupid and dumb for supporting Hon Kofi Arkoe Nokoe’s campaign during a press conference held in Apewosika, a suburb of Axim.
Mame Ama Ntefo, a fishmonger and staunch NDC supporter, chastised the couple for displaying political immaturity on the part of the constituency chairman and his wife, going so far as to attack the personality of Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and Deputy Majority Leader, and Hon Affoe-Toffey for supporting the candidature of the area’s incumbent Member of Parliament (MP).
“I was so disappointed when the supporters of Madam Tebuah Kwofie hooted at Hon Kofi Arkoe Nokoe at the presence of President John Mahama when he visited the chiefs and people of Axim immediately after the primaries and I didn’t like what they did” explained Mame Ama.
Another irritated supporter, Uncle Charles Kwofie, expressed his displeasure with the party executives, particularly the regional executives, for allowing the chairman’s wife to submit her documents for the MCE position, as well as some of his accomplices, primarily constituency executives, allowing the constituency women’s organiser, Yvette Enu-Kwesi, and the secretary, Gideon Ansah-Mensah, to run for the MCE position.
He went on to say that these elements in the party, led by the constituency chairman’s wife (Madam Augustina Ama Tebua), launched Operation’skirt and blouse’, inciting voters to vote for John Mahama and Catharine Ablema Afeku, the NPP parliamentary candidate, over the NDC’s Kofi Arkoe Nokoe, and that this spread throughout the constituency.
“Even in her backyard, Gwira Banso, where the NDC has never lost, she (Madam Ama Tebua, the designated party agent) ensured that the NDC parliamentary candidate lost at all eight voting stations. They also tried this agenda skirt and blouse in the Apewoska electoral area, the NDC’s heartland, but thankfully some key persons intervened and ensured we won barely, and the entire purpose of this agenda was to pave the way for her to fight in 2028.” Uncle Charles contributed.
We, the grassroots, will not support any candidate who will come and work against a sitting Member of Parliament simply because she wants to become a Member of Parliament. Can you imagine the chairman and his family rejecting gifts and items from the sitting Member of Parliament when he (the constituency chairman) was bereaved, but wholeheartedly and openly accepting donations and gifts from Madam Afeku, our opponent? Is it not a mark of immaturity from the couple? He quizzed.
Mr Ben Asmah, a party cadre, urged the executives to reject all individuals who publicly endorsed and campaigned for MCE in skirts and blouses, as their actions were detrimental to the party’s progress.
“This is the first time in the history of Evalue Gwira that a sitting MP has won back-to-back. We should not allow moles to come and destroy the party for their selfish gains.”
He added that the chairman and his wife are only interested in the position to activate their galamsey business, which the party should not allow.
They all called on both national and regional executives to consider nominating a candidate that would complement the work of the sitting Member of Parliament and the right person Herbert Kuah Dickson who has shown loyalty, dedication and hard work to the fortunes of the party.
They added that the candidature of Herbert Kuah Dickson is the perfect match to help the Member of Parliament achieve his vision and mission.
In a related development, a petition delivered to both the regional chairman and secretary earlier last week by Mr John Abugri, the party’s former constituency secretary, listed and substantiated the claims levied against the couple and their surrogates
Attached is the full text of the petition submitted to the Western regional executives through the chairman.
Dated January 13, 2025
THE REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
SEKONDI
WESTERN REGION
Dear Sir,
PETITION AGAINST ‘SKIRT AND BLOUSE’ VOTING CONSPIRACY IN EVALUE AJOMORO-GWIRA CONSTITUENCY
IntroductionThe Regional Executive’s attention is drawn to some issues masterminded by key personalities who matter in the political environment of Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency.
These issues were mainly aimed at undermining, distracting, causing disaffection, and, above all, ensuring the defeat of the 2024 Parliamentary Candidate, who also doubled as the incumbent Member of Parliament.
Background
The Campaign Team assigned to monitor the elections in Southern Gwira picked up signals from some sections of the electorates, especially in the Gwira enclave that the Constituency Chairman and some Branch Chairmen, Secretaries, and loyal ConstituencyExecutives to the Constituency Chairman have allegedly conspired to ensure that the Parliamentary Candidate, Kofi Arko, lost the election aimed at achieving the following:
1. Punishing and defaming Hon. Armah Kofi Buah for interfering with the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira internal election matters, as they did in 2023 before, during, and after the Parliamentary primaries.
2. To reinforce and demonstrate the Chairman’s superiority over the MP in the constituency.
3. To cut short Mr. Kuah Dickson’s aspirations to become M.C.E. if Kofi Arko Nokoe wins.
4. To make it possible for Hon. Augustina Ama Tabuah Kwofie, wife of the constituency chairperson, to run as a Parliamentary candidate in 2028.
Conspirators
To achieve their diabolic and anti-party purpose, the group held a series of meetings at coded locations where specific tasks were assigned to some key personalities mainly Branch Executives before the elections with their roles included:
1. Distribute money and other gifts to prospective voters, primarily to persuade them to vote for Mahama and Madam Catherine, the NPP Parliamentary candidate, rather than the Party’s candidate and incumbent Member of Parliament.
2. Deliberately hoard funds raised by the Party for party operations before and during the elections to enrage voters into voting for Catherine rather than Kofi Arko Nokoe.
3. It was established that Anlimah Samuel, Isaac Amuzu, and Adona Gyandeh, all from the Ajomoro–Eshiem Branch, were conspicuously spotted distributing monies to potential voters and instructing them to vote for Mahama and Madam Catherine, the NPP candidate.It was discovered that the aforementioned perpetrators in their earlier meetings with some part of voters pledged to do everything necessary to guarantee the MP lost the seat to fulfil their agenda.
It was noted that the aforementioned culprits in their prior meetings with some sections of voters in the Gwira area had pledged to do all possible to ensure the MP lost the seat, a conduct that was indeed an affront to the paramount interest of the Party and violated the Party’s norms and regulations.
4. At the Anibil’s Polling Station A (A03160A), Raymond Mensah openly campaigned for the NPP candidate, whereas ironically, Evans Kwaw Mensah and Sylvanus Kwaw Mensah also openly campaigned for Catherine and were caught and even challenged by their colleagues and regular NDC supporters to stop their anti-party activities.They were brave enough to expand their anti-party behaviour service to Anibil Zongo.
They induced them to vote for Mahama and Madam Catherine, but they rejected their second proposition and voted for Kofi Arko Nokoe.5. At Bamiankor Polling Station 1 (A031601), the situation was identical. Prince Ampong Kwofie (Youth Organiser), Simon Quaidoo (Const. Deputy Communication Officer), and Emmanuel Kofi Nderfoh, Chairman of Polling Station 2 (A031602), all ran against the Party Candidate, Kofi Arko Nokoe.
It is widely suspected that the authorities above accepted payments from the NPP to lobby for Catherine.
They were caught red-handed giving money to voters and encouraging them to vote for Catherine and Bawumia, which never panned out as planned.This was not surprising given that they were the ones who planned a news conference to tarnish the reputation of Hon Kofi Arko Nokoe.
Signals Picked up
It was also established that our leader, Professor Francis Armah Ackah, having recognised the widespread preaching of “Skirt and BLOUSE” among the indigenes, assigned John Abugri to the Central Gwira to assess the situation and devise a strategy that could help yield positive results.
1. At Esuowa, Alfred Ampong Cudjoe, the Branch Chairman, was identified as the only executive promoting “skirt and blouse” voting, which resulted in votes for Mahama and Catharine. Mr Abugri’s prompt action at the Esuowa Branch changed the narrative by hiring motorbikes to reach out to the settler farmers’ villages and transport them to the voting polling station to cast their votes in favour of Hon.Kofi Arko Nokoe.
2. At Gwira-Eshiem, Jonathan Anaman, Chairman of Polling Station 2A(A032102A), and Alexander Smart Kwofie defied all odds by openly campaigning for their opponents, Cathrine and Bawumia, rather than John Mahama and KofiArko Nokoe, despite the implications of Article 39(e) of the Party Constitution.
3. The most noticeable and concerning incidents during the election occurred in the Gwira Banso Electoral Area, where Hon. Augustina Ama Tabua Kwofie was assigned to monitor. According to reports and person-to-person interviews conducted in the Gwira Banso township, Hon. Augustina Ama Tabua Kwofie was openly encouraging voters to vote for John Mahama and Cathrine rather than John Mahama and Kofi Arko Nokoe.
4. Furthermore, the Coordinator, Emmanuel Ofori, often known as ‘Voltic’, campaigned for Catherine and John Mahama while ignoring Hon. Kofi Arko Nokoe.
5. Hon Augustina Ama Tabua Kwofie and Emmanuel Ofori’s “Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing” character resulted in the NDC losing all 5 polling stations for Parliamentary candidates while winning all 5 polling stations for Presidential candidate John Mahama in Banso Town.
6. In this aspect, the NDC won easily for President but fared poorly in Parliament.
Recommendations
1. Individuals who misconducted themselves in this report shall be sanctioned by expulsion or barred from contending for any post at any level in the Party in the future, as provided in Article 39(e).
2. The Party’s senior authorities should apply Article 39(e) at all levels of the Party to act as a deterrent to all sorts of people without fear or favour.
3. There should be no interference from any person or group of people from internal or other forces attempting to derail the sanctions.This, we hope, will inculcate discipline in the Party for the future.
Conclusion
It is our sincere hope that those who are found to have committed these heinous acts will face the appropriate sanctions under the Party’s norms and regulations. The following punishments are suggested for the perpetrators.
John Abugri
Regional Election Directorate Member
Sekondi Western Region
CC:
1. Regional Secretary
2. The Constituency Chairman/Secretary- NDC
3. The Member of Parliament for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency
4. The Council of Elders – Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency NDC
5. HRM Awulae Attibrukusu III, Paramount Chief of Lower Axim Traditional Council