'NDC loaned Jomoro seat to NPP' - Candidate elect

The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Jomoro constituency of Western Region, Dorcas Afo Toffey, popularly known as "Yaa Asantewa" has said that the (NDC) loaned the Jomoro seat to the NPP in 2016.

The largest opposition party, she said was therefore adequately prepared and ready to recapture it in 2020.

The party went to the polls to elect its 2020 parliamentary candidates on Saturday, August 24, 2019 in almost all the 275 constituencies across the country.

In Western Region, the party conducted parliamentary primaries in six Constituencies out of the seventeen constituencies.

The six constituencies were; Jomoro, Ahanta West, Sekondi, Shama, Amenfi West and Amenfi Central.

Aspirants in the Prestea Huni-Valley, Effia constituencies however contested the elections unopposed through declaration of popular acclamation by the party's electoral college.

However, Ellembelle where the former Petroleum Minister under John Mahama-led administration, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah is seeking re-election, had been put on hold with Mpohor Constituency.

Nominations were opened and prospective aspirants were vetted in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira, Kwesiminstim, Amenfi East, Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Essikado-Ketan Constituencies but their elections have been postponed to 21st September 2019.

The NDC in the Jomoro Constituency lost the seat to the NPP in 2016 for the first time in the political history of Ghana.

The Saturday's parliamentary elections which was held at Mpataba Basic School park gave a landslide victory to the female contender in the Jomoro race, Dorcas Afo Toffey.

She polled 1,324 votes representing 87.4 per cent to beat her main contenders, Francis Ackatia Kwaidoo who had 188 votes representing 12.4 per cent and Samuel Nda Blay Armah who also polled 4 votes representing 0.2 per cent.

In all, 1,516 delegates making up the electoral college, voted for the three (3) aspirants that battled it out for the vacancy in the area.

The election was supervised by Mr. Isaac Otoo, the Jomoro Municipal Director of Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of the Jomoro constituency.

The poll was witnessed by the NDC's Western Regional Chairman, Nana Kojo Toku. The poll witnessed 11 spoiled ballot papers.

Dorcas Afo Toffey is the first female candidate the party has elected as its parliamentary candidate since 1992, and she is the only candidate who has secured the highest votes in the history of the party's parliamentary primaries.

Speaking to Daniel Kaku, GhanaWeb's Western Regional Correspondent, the candidate, Dorcas Toffey expressed happiness for the confidence reposed in her.

She also thanked the Regional Executives and Constituency Executives for the unflinching support offered her. She used the opportunity to thank the security personnel for maintaining law and order during the voting process.

All party faithfuls in the area including her main contestants were urged after the polls to forge ahead in peace and unity and work hard to recapture the seat in 2020 elections.

Apparently fired up by her landslide victory, she claimed the party had loaned the Jomoro Constituency parliamentary seat to the NPP and promised to reclaim it for the party in 2020.

According to her, the party did make small mistakes in 2016 and lost the seat for the first time to the NPP, but had since learnt its mistakes and readying for 2020.

She told members of the NPP in the area that they should prepare well for 2020 because she is ever ready to recapture the seat.

"The Jomoro parliamentary seat is for NDC and we only gave it to the NPP in 2016 as a loan but in 2020, we are taking our seat back because the NPP has failed woefully and we are determined to take it back", she emphasized.

The philanthropist pledged her total commitment to liaise with the grassroots in order to build a united front to win back the seat and increase the presidential votes of NDC in 2020.

She noted that her resounding victory should give a strong signal to the NPP that they were ready to recapture the seat in 2020.

She disclosed that she had a lot of good programmes for the constituency and urged all to support her.

She said women were capable of delivering when the opportunity is given and therefore seized the opportunity to urge other women to involve themselves in leadership positions to also contribute immensely to the development of this country.

The Deputy Constituency Communications Officer of the party, Emmanuel Benle, on his part, told GhanaWeb that their main focus was not on the party's parliamentary primaries but rather the Jomoro parliamentary seat.

He said the Saturday's primaries was just a dress rehearsal for 2020 and therefore promised to unseat the NPP's incumbent MP, Hon. Paul Essien.

The controversial Deputy Communications Officer disclosed that the current MP had failed to honour his 2016 campaign pledges.

He said since 2017 that the MP assumed office, he has not commissioned a single project in the constituency.

He claimed the only thing the MP is capable of doing was using Common Funds to build billboards to show to the constituents that he was doing something.

He described the MP as the worst MP the Jomoro Constituency has ever had.

"The NPP MP here who is also the Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, is not doing anything, what he is interested in doing is to use our money to build billboards to showcase his proposed projects on them. Since 2017 till date, this MP has not even commissioned a single project. Now Jomoro people are saying they are fedup with lies and long talk, they are throwing him out of Parliament in 2020", he fired.

He therefore charged NDC members in the area to rally behind the newly elected parliamentary candidate (Dorcas Afo Toffey) to recapture the seat from the NPP come 2020.

He said the NDC has developed the constituency than any other political party since 1992.

He mentioned the construction of good road network, connection of electricity, provisions of potable water, construction of a Secondary School at Ezinlibo (Annor Adjaye SHS), construction of classroom blocks at the Basic Schools, construction of CHP compounds among others. He believes these achievements would let the constituents vote for NDC in the area in 2020 for continuation of development projects.

Nana Kojo Toku, Western Regional Chairman of the party thanked the delegates for comporting themselves before, during and after the polls

He said the victory for Dorcas Afo Toffey was not a victory for her alone but a victory for all NDC members in the area.

He also seized the opportunity to urge all losing teams and the winning team to come together to work hard and reclaim the Jomoro parliamentary seat in 2020.

The Regional Chairman disclosed that all campaign teams must be abolished in the six constituencies of the Region who had elected their 2020 parliamentary candidates on Saturday, August 24, 2019.

He said all campaign activities must be suspended to allow the constituency executives to handle all the required activities.

The election was peaceful and brought a lot of personalities together in the constituency. One of the personalities was the former Chief of Defence Staff under John Atta Mills-led-government, General Peter Augustine Blay among others.