Accra, Ghana. (GS) The National Steering Committee (NSC) of the New Patriotic Party has referred a former parliamentary candidate for Kpone-Katamanso Hopeson Adorye and the sitting MP for Old Tafo in the NPP stronghold of the Ashanti Region, Hon. Ekow Vincent Assafuah, to the National Complaints Committee for allegedly breaching the party’s Code of Conduct.
A statement issued and signed by the NPP’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, accused Hopeson Adorye and Hon. Ekow Vincent Assafuah of violating the code of conduct of the NPP, stemming from the fallout from the hugely patronized ‘Aduru Woso Health Walk’, which was organized by some pro-Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen (Trade Minister) supporters and some leading members of the NPP, in support of the Trade Ministers’ bid to lead the party in 2024 presidential election.
‘As part of efforts to regulate the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Council of the Party in 2021, issued a Code of Conduct to govern the presidential and parliamentary primaries. Subsequently, the General Secretary, acting on the instructions of the National Executives, issued a press statement reminding members of the Party that the Code of Conduct was still in full force and urged all stakeholders to adhere to its provisions’, the statement emphasized.
The charges leveled against the two leading members emanated from two different venues, though they all hinge on their support for Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, who is in a tight race with incumbent Vice President Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumiah to succeed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo when he leaves office in 2024. Whilst Hopeson Adorye’s summons is predicated on his comments to the effect the ” Dombo faction of the NPP tradition is only fit for vice presidential position in the NPP”, an implied swipe at Vice President Bawumiah, at a rally during the “Aduru Woso Health Walk” which was held on Saturday, August 13, 2022, in Kumasi in support of the Trade Minister, the MP for Old Tafo, Ekow Vincent Assafuah, is being dragged before the National Complaints Committee (NCC) for comments he purportedly made on a Kumasi-based media station, OYEREPA FM/TV on or about August 3, 2022, that according to the statement, ‘sought to advance the ambitions of one of the Party’s presidential hopefuls’.
Mr. Hopeson Adorye has since made a public apology for his statement at the Health Walk and says he was quoted out of context.
In summoning the duo before the NCC, the NPP General Secretary said apart from flouting the Code of Conduct of the Party, Hopeson Adorye, by his actions, also sought to divide the Party front. The NPP scribe also chastised Hon. Vicent Assafuah for breaching the Party’s Code of Conduct for showing open support towards a push to convince Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen to contest the 2024 presidential candidate slot. That will put the Trade Minister in a direct juxtaposition with Vice President Bawumiah in a heated political battle to convince the party’s delegates about who among the two is best placed to lead the NPP to victory in 2024.
At least five people have so far declared or are leaning towards running for the NPP’s presidential slot in 2024. Some notable names that have popped up include Alan Kyerematen, Trade Minister, Vice President Alhaji Muhamadu Bawumiah, Hon Kennedy Agyapong (MP), Dr. Osei Akoto, Agric Minister, Ing Kwabena Agyapong, former NPP General Secretary and a former Press Secretary to President Kufuor, among others.
“It is worthy of note that the Walk was held a few days after the General Secretary had issued Press Statement to caution all party members and executives to refrain from acts that breach the Code of Conduct for presidential and parliamentary primaries. Prior to the “Aduru Woso Health Walk”, the General Secretary and National Organizer of the Party engaged the organizers of the Health Walk and urged them to abandon such plans as they would be in breach of the Party’s Code of Conduct. The executives also granted interviews with various media houses cautioning against these imminent infractions of the Code of Conduct. Unfortunately, all these proactive interventions were not adhered to by the organizers”, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua explained in his statement.
He said subsequently, “the attention of the National Steering Committee of the Party was drawn to these instances during the Committee’s meeting on Monday. August 15, 2022. The Committee resolved that Hon. Ekow Vincent Assafuah and Mr. Hopeson Adorye be invited to appear before the National Complaints Committee as provided for in the Party’s Code of Conduct”. Mr. Alan Kyerematen, the Trade Minister, has also been ‘written’ to, as the statement put it, in regards to the “Aduru Woso Health Walk”.
“… the institution and enforcement of measures put in place by the party are not intended to aid in advancing the electoral ambition of any particular candidate over the other, but it is designed to prevent a flare-up of tensions that often arise in the lead-up to presidential and parliamentary primaries and secure a united party front for 2024 general elections”, the statement concluded.
So far there is no indication that Alan Kyerematen was personally involved in the organization, financing, or attending the Health Walk in Kumasi. This has led some supporters of the Trade Minister to question the sincerity of the statement from the NPP’s General Secretary to admonish Alan Kyerematen in public. They believe the new General Secretary is rather trying to bend the rules to diminish the status of and public enthusiasm and goodwill for their candidate Alan Kyerematen.
Some are questioning why Veep Bawumiah and all the other candidates who have declared their intention or are leaning towards a run for president in 2024 and their supporters are not held to equal standards. Mr. Kofi Duah, a prominent member of “Friends of Alan Kyerematen”, a pro-Alan Kyerematen political action group, remarked ” is Justin Kodua scared of the others who are wearing Tshirts and Hats, and those who have printed posters and erected billboards to support Bawumiah and the other folks who have declared their intention to lead the party? Why must it always be about Hon Kyerematen? They just want to bring him (Alan) down because they know he’s the people’s choice but I can assure them that all their dirty tricks won’t work. Our party members are wiser now and they’ll never fall for any political mischief”, he fumed.
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