NPP Orphan Parliamentary Primaries Marred by Cash and Death.

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary primaries for its 100 orphaned constituencies on Saturday, September 28, 2019 was marred by a show of opulence by aspirants.

Also, one delegate in the Ablekuma South constituency collapsed and died shortly after he cast his vote.

Eye-witnesses say the deceased, reportedly named Jonathan Nii Otoo Ankrah, who voted at the Korle-Bu Police Station polling station in the constituency, collapsed and died shortly after he was rushed to the hospital.

However, apart from the usual confusion such as the punching of an Electoral Commission Offical at Odododiodio Constituency, the highlight of the primaries was the show of opulence by some of the aspirants who were fingered for sharing cash and kind to influence delegates.

Top of the list is one Elisha Debrah Odoom who had brought about a dozen brand new saloon cars to the election grounds as a prop to influence delegates at the Ajumako Enyam-Essiam constituency.

However, when the votes were counted, he polled only 67 votes against the 411 votes polled by his closest rival, Rashid Kwesi Etuaful.

An enraged Odoom loaded his cars back onto the transporter that brought them and sped off, much to the shock of delegates.

On Saturday, the NPP organised primaries for 100 “Orphaned Constituencies” where about 45,000 delegates voted for parliamentary candidates in constituencies currently not under the control of the ruling party.

Meanwhile, some popular faces in the ruling party have won their bids in some of the constituencies. These include Hopeson Yaovi Adorye who won the Kpone Katamanso constituency race; Kwesi Bonzoh, the District Chief Executive of Ellembelle won the race in that constituency and Professor Kwesi Yankah won that of the Agona East constituency.

Others are Deputy Energy Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam who won the Karaga Constituency; Alhaji Rashid Bawa for the Akan Constituency and Nii Lantey Bannerman for the Odododiodio Constituency.