Manaf Calls Wontumi’s Bluff …Files To Contest Asawase Seat

MANAF IBRAHIM, aide of Vice President Bawumia, has filed his nomination to contest in the upcoming Asawase Constituency New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries, contrary to directives from the regional office.

NPPs Stance

The Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Wontumi’, is on record to have directed that the party would not hold elections at Asawase Constituency.

According to him, Alhaji Alidu Seidu, the Asokore Mampong Municipal Chief Executive, who contested the Asawase seat on NPP ticket in 2016 and lost, would be retained unopposed.

Wontumi, in an interview on Ashh FM, argued that the decision to retain Alidu Seidu was not irreversible.

He explained that the party often changed its parliamentary candidates at Asawase after every election and cited that as one of the reasons that the seat had become NDCs bona fide property.

Manaf Files Successfully 

 Interestingly, despite the strong regional statement, Manaf Ibrahim successfully submitted his nomination forms at the Asawase NPP office on Thursday, followed by a huge crowd of supporters.

In his remarks, he said the NPP is a Democratic Party that is known for electing its candidates, and stressed that that tradition must be maintained.

He said even though he would not be cowed into withdrawing from the race, he would not hesitate to support the eventual winner, should he (Manaf) lose at the primary.

Independent Candidate Scare

Meanwhile, news making rounds indicate that, apart from Asawase, the possibility of other people flouting Wontumi’s directive, and possibly going independent at Ejura Sekyeredumase and Sekyere Afram Plains, is high.

The NPP recently announced its intentions to impose some preferred candidates on the aforementioned constituencies and this is said to have ignited serious anger among a section of the party members.