A National Organiser, now the Chief Executive Officer of the National Lotteries Authority, Sammy Awuku is making frank efforts to invade the Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region. Rumours have it that he is eying the seat and thus made it a target to oust the incumbent parliamentarian, Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei in the next primaries.Â
This had caused some party folks to question the silence of party leadership on the emerging threat to the rather promising female parliamentarian, Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei. As an incumbent and the very first female parliamentarian for the constituency, Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei had persistently conquered the odds imposed by some cronies in the party to have her taken out. In her contest since 2016 for the seat, an independent candidate had been sponsored to deflate her margins yet she emerged victoriously.
It is alleged that Sammy Awuku dolled out some cash to delegates in that constituency this Christmas to lure them to support his political aspiration. Such inducements had caused unnecessary rivalry to what the incumbent offers.Â
Very typical in Ghanaian politics, such tactics cause great havoc within the party, and bleed disaffection towards the incumbent. The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not taking their lessons from the 2020 parliamentary losses seriously. The National Council of the party and the Presidency cannot be spared of the blame should things turn out far worse in the 2024 general elections than they suffered in the previous contest.Â
The NPP losing thirty-two (32) parliamentary seats in 2020 despite claims of unprecedented developmental accomplishment should have rekindled the gumption of the political leadership to rethink certain decisions they allowed during the primaries. Some government appointees who by virtue of their appointment had amassed some resources ‘bulldozed’ their way with monetary inducements and ousted a great number of incumbent MPs.Â
Is Sammy Awuku using his appointment as a proxy to contest the Akuapem North seat?
Has it now become a trend that appointees exploit their positions, and enrich themselves so they could contest parliamentary elections?
Will the party leadership look on and allow this trend to fester?Â
These questions beg to be answered. And the most interesting thing about Sammy Awuku’s entry into mainstream politics is his avoidance of the Adenta Constituency for Akuapem North. He has been resident in the Adenta Constituency for over 15 years, and this could have been a perfect opportunity to redeem the seat from the NDC.Â
The Adenta Constituency has been a swing constituency, and Sammy Awuku could have challenged himself to win it for the party in the 2024 election but he is rather going after a secured stronghold of the NPP. How lazy his strategy is.
Or he simply fears there is no chance for him given that he had never experienced a fierce electoral contest in his political life? In fact, his election as the National Youth Organiser, and then as National Organiser for the NPP has always been handed over to him with virtually no resistance.Â
His contenders in the past elections have often stepped down to allow him a smooth sail for the position. Sammy Awuku must be advised by the party leadership and especially the President to reconsider his preference to contest the Akuapem North Constituency. Perhaps granting him the needed support to go after the Adenta seat will motivate others like him to pursue orphan constituencies in 2024.Â
The party undoubtedly will need such interventions to redeem the 32 seats it lost in 2020 and win more against the opposition NDC, come 2024. The NPP cannot afford to have a replay of events from 2020 as it happened in 2008, manifest in 2024.
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