Bagbin, Quashigah, Humado, Fiifi, Heloo not seeking re-election

Ghana’s Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, as of the end of his party’s nomination process for its internal parliamentary primaries ahead of the 2020 general elections, had neither picked the forms personally nor sent anyone to do so on his behalf, signaling his much-speculated retirement from the chamber after his current term expires.

Although he is yet to officially explain his action and announce his decision to quit the lawmaking chamber, some pundits have put everything down to Ghana’s longest-serving MP’s failed sojourn to become the flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

But Mr Bagbin is not the only serving NDC MP who failed to pick the forms.

Four others in the Volta Region also did not. They are Mr Richard Quashiegah, MP for Keta; Mr Clement Kofi Humado, MP for Anlo; Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, MP for Ketu South; and Dr Mrs Bernice Adiku Heloo, MP for Hohoe.

Mr James Gunu, the Volta Regional Secretary of the NDC who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said a total of 15 women out of 74 persons picked nomination forms after the close of nomination on Friday, 12 July 2019.

He said Mr Charles Agbeve, the MP for Agortime-Ziope was going unopposed because he was the only aspirant who picked the nomination form to contest by the deadline.

Mr Gunu said the Functional Executive Committee (FEC), in consultation with the General Secretary, had directed that the selection process for the parliamentary primaries in the Hohoe Constituency be allowed to continue with immediate effect.

The order followed a meeting between the FEC and the Hohoe Constituency executives of the party on Friday.

The Regional Secretary said the date has been extended to Tuesday, 16 July 2019 for eligible party members who wished to contest the parliamentary primaries in the Hohoe constituency to pick nomination forms.

Mr Gunu said the original time table for the conduct of the parliamentary primaries remained unchanged and stated the determination of the leadership of the party in the region to create a level playing field for all the aspirants in a free, fair, credible and transparent primaries.