Former Member of Parliament for the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC in the Upper Manya Krobo constituency in Eastern region Hon.Jeff Tetteh Kavianu failed to file his nomination form as the deadline elapsed Wednesday March 22,2023.
According to him, several attempts made to submit his nomination forms to both the constituency office and the region party office has proved futile despite the directives by the party leadership that nomination form should be submitted within 20th and 22nd March, 2023.
He alleged that the upper Manya Krobo Constituency office of the party has been locked and executives gone into hiding after the incumbent Member of Parliament Bismark Tetteh Nyarko filed his nomination form on Sunday 19th March , 2023 .
Therefore, was directed to file at the Regional level however nobody was available to receive the form.
The visibly stranded and worried former lawmaker seen at the Regional Secretariat was sweating as the clock tickles to the deadline time of 5:00pm Wednesday March 22,2023.
Speaking to the media at the party’s regional office in Koforidua after failing to submit his form, Jeff Tetteh Kavianu accused the NDC Upper Manya Krobo constituency executives as well as the regional secretary Baba Jamal Konney of a deliberate attempt to block him from contesting the incumbent member of parliament hence their failure to open the party offices to receive his nomination form.
He lamented that the constituency executives after locking up the constituency office refused to respond to his calls therefore was instructed by the regional secretary to submit at the regional office but upon reaching the regional office on Wednesday 22nd March,2023 the same regional secretary was not present at the office, strangely instructed the administrators on mobile phone not to receive the form.
He showed evidence of copies of filled nomination form and other documents including payment of Ghc40,000 filing fee at the Bank.
He said 94 out of 114 branch members endorsed his form representing over 83% above the stipulated 50% endorsement requirement by the party.
Hon. Jeff Tetteh Kavianu on the bases of what has transpired described the actions of the constituency executives as undemocratic.
He however called on the leadership of the party – National Chairman and the General Secretary to immediately intervene to ensure that fairness prevail to prevent any possible future disunity in the party in Upper Manya Krobo.
In February this year ,prior to the opening of nomination ,the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency Executives of the NDC held a press conference to declare their support en bloc to the incumbent MP Bismark Tetteh Nyarko to go unopposed due to his phenomenal performance in terms of developmental projects in the area of education, health, road rehabilitations, women empowerment, provision of police stations and streetlights among others in the Constituency .
The constituency executives went further to present Ghc6000 cheque to the MP to purchase the nomination form.
Upper Manya Krobo constituency is stronghold of the NDC since 1992 however in 2016 then opposition NPP candidate Joseph Tetteh won the seat for the party for the first time with 13,920 votes (56.34%) to defeat then incumbent NDC MP Jeff Tetteh Kavianu who polled 10,544 votes representing 42,67%.
Bismark Tetteh Nyarko defeated Jeff Tetteh Kavianu in the Primaries to become Parliamentary candidate for the party in 2020 parliamentary election.
Bismark Tetteh Nyarko of the NDC secured 14,967 votes representing 54.04% to defeat then incumbent NPP MP Joseph Tetteh who polled 12,307 representing 44.44%.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
