The Bantama Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Fiifi Mensah, has accused the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Francis Asenso-Boakye, of allegedly manipulating the party’s polling station album to influence the selection of delegates ahead of the constituency’s internal elections.
According to Chairman Fiifi Mensah, tensions have emerged within the constituency following claims that some delegates have been removed from the album while others are being added based on political affiliations.
He alleged that some individuals linked to the MP are attempting to control the process by determining who qualifies to participate as delegates.
“Everything was going on well until we realised that some people intended to completely manipulate the polling station album to see which choices of people they wanted to become executives,” Mr Mensah said.
He stressed that the party’s established procedures must be followed to ensure a credible and peaceful election.
“If the process is run peacefully, whoever gets elected becomes an executive. We go for election, whoever wins wins. That is fair,” he added.
Mr Mensah claimed that some long-standing party members who have served as delegates for several years have been removed from the album, a situation he described as unfair and unacceptable.
He questioned why delegates who have contributed to the party over the years should be excluded because of fears over their preferred candidates.
“Somebody has been a delegate for 16 years, 12 years, and they are taking them out because of me? No. We must do a fair and clean album for peace to prevail in Bantama,” he said.
The constituency chairman further alleged that the compilation of the album had been influenced by some party executives, including the MP, the first vice chairman, youth organiser, and polling station executives.
He claimed that some individuals had added large numbers of names to the register while his own proposed additions were rejected.
Mr Mensah said he had decided not to engage in confrontation but wanted the matter resolved through the appropriate party structures.
“I want peace in Bantama. I am not going to fight anybody. But I won’t keep quiet and watch people who have suffered for the party all these years being treated that way,” he stated.
The development reportedly led to heightened tensions at the constituency office, where Mr Mensah said he locked the office and took custody of some party documents after concerns over the alleged manipulation of the album.
He explained that the move was to safeguard the documents until the matter was addressed.
“I am the chairman and I am supposed to be in charge of the album. When I realised there was too much manipulation going on, I took the documents and locked them so everything could be resolved peacefully,” he said.
Mr Mensah disclosed that he had engaged the NPP’s regional leadership and was preparing a formal petition to the regional office over the matter.
He said affected delegates were calling for a peaceful resolution and a transparent process that would allow all eligible members to participate.
The chairman has called on the party leadership to intervene and ensure a credible process, adding that he would accept the outcome of a fair election regardless of the result.
“Let us do the process the right way. We will do a peaceful election. Then come and do all the campaign you can, and let me lose. I will take it peacefully,” he said.
The allegations have not yet received a public response from the MP, Francis Asenso-Boakye, or other party officials mentioned.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
