General News of Saturday, 4 November 2023
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2023-11-04NPP Presidential Primaries: Suame delegates boycott voting over Kennedy Agyapong's ‘lorry fare’
Kennedy Agyapong, a presidential aspirant hopeful of the New Patriotic Party
Over 200 delegates of the New Patriotic Party in the Suame Constituency have threatened to boycott the presidential primaries if they do not receive financial inducements from the camp of Kennedy Agyapong.
A TV3 report indicates that while over
Read full article800 delegates have cast their votes, some 200 have decided to stay away from the event due to the lack of what they contend to be ‘transport money’.
Speaking to TV3, two of the delegates charged Kennedy Agyapong to make his presence felt in the constituency, or else they would not cast their votes.
They said that while they have received some funds from the camp of vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, they are yet to hear from Kennedy Agyapong.
One of the delegates who spoke to TV3 suggested that Kennedy Agyapong might have commissioned some funds for their ‘transport’ but they are yet to receive it.
He, therefore, charged the representatives of Kennedy Agyapong to discharge the funds else they would not vote.
“We’ve come from far so we need help. We don’t have a problem with Bawumia but where is Ken? We are waiting for Ken else we will not vote”, he said.
The issue of vote buying has been rife in the ongoing NPP presidential primaries on November 4, 2023.
In the La Dade Kotokopon constituency, TV3 reports that some delegates are claiming to have received GHC450 from the camp of the vice president.
In another video which has gone viral on social media, a candidate by the name Sir Collins explained that he chose to vote for Kennedy Agyapong because he appreciated the money he offered him more than that of the vice president.
In an interview with GHOne TV, Collins expressed his strong dissatisfaction, describing it as an insult, that Dr. Bawumia, who aspires to be the party's flagbearer, offered delegates a meager GH¢400 each.
Collins pointed out the disparity in resources and support, questioning why another contender, Kennedy Agyapong, who reportedly has less support from government appointees and the party's rank and file, offered GH¢300.
“I voted for Ken,” he said in the Twi language as he proceeded to give his reason.
“Bawumia has the support of ministers, MCEs and government officials yet they gave us GH¢400 while Ken gave us GH¢300. That’s an insult. How can you have the support of everyone and give us GH¢400 when an individual Ken is giving us GH¢300?”
Still on GTV another delegate named Samed Nuhu who confirmed being a polling station executive urged the delegates in the Krowor constituency not to allow the monies they’ve received from the candidates to influence their decisions.
He confirmed receiving monies from both the camp of Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong but promised to vote for the person he believes will keep the party in power.
He confessed to voting for Bawumia and also disclosed that he received an envelope but lamented that the amount wasn’t too much.
“I have finished voting and gone for my envelope but the money isn’t much. The process has been cool and without hitches. The people are also conducting themselves well so its going on smoothly. I also took an envelope from Ken. I didn’t fight for it but they give it to me. I have not opened the envelopes yet”, he said.
In the Ellembelle constituency, some delegates are cling that the monies offered them are beyond expectations.
Some angry polling station executives in the Ellembelle constituency of the Western region have accused the election committee of cheating.
"We were told that they would give us GHC100 each to take cars to Nkroful here to vote, but they have given us just GHC50", they said.
"They have cheated us because these monies are from the national headquarters, and it is not fair at all. We are telling the national executives that they should call our constituency executives to order and add the GHC50 before we leave here", they added.
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