About six aspirants have filed their nominations and have started processes to fill the vacant position in the Tafo-Pankrono Constituency after a decision by the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation not to contest in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) upcoming parliamentary primaries.
Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tafo-Pankrono Constituency since 2005, announced his decision last year to exit Ghana’s Parliament.
However, ahead of the NPP’s parliamentary primaries in April, there is a mad rush by aspirants to fill the vacant position.
One of such person seeking to replace Dr. Akoto Osei is Dr. Emmanuel Kwabena Obeng, a member of the NPP medical team and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trinity Hospital, a private health facility in Kumasi.
Speaking to journalists after officially filing nomination papers to contest in the primaries, Dr. Kwabena Obeng said: “What Dr. Akoto has done is what I am coming to stand on and jump. Dr Akoto has been able to put down 45,000 votes for this constituency. So what I am coming to do is to go to the opponents. The main opponents have 11,000. I am going to take half of it and add it to Nana Akufo-Addo’s votes. So, it is not going to be easy for me. Every contest is not easy. It is going to be a difficult task, but with God by my side, everything will be possible,” he said.
He said he has contributed his quota to the development of the party in the constituency and succeeding Dr. Osei will mean a chance for him to do more to further develop and project the constituency.
Dr Obeng also pledged to unite NPP delegates and supporters in the constituency so that together they can support the party to retain power in the upcoming general elections in 2020.
In the midst of jubilant delegates and party supporters, the excited aspirant expressed confidence of winning the upcoming parliamentary primaries and also indicated that he remains the right person to succeed Dr. Osei Akoto.