ERIC KWAKYE Darfour, the Eastern Regional Treasurer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and four others will contest the Nkawkaw Constituency primary for the 2012 elections.
The four others are the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Seth Adjei Baah, who contested the seat in the 2008 elections as an independent candidate; Mr Okerchiri Adusa, a former MP for the area; Mr Yaw Owusu Addo, a journalist, and Madam Vida Agyekum, a legal practitioner.
Although the five have not yet officially made public their intentions, reliable sources within the constituency indicate that they are keeping a low profile due to a directive from the party’s headquarters that it is too early to do so, since the parliamentary elections are almost two years away.
The source said the directive was also to avoid any mud-throwing among the contestants like what characterised the previous primaries, especially within areas considered as strongholds of the NPP.
According to the source, the party would soon come out with when all those contesting on its tickets could declare their intentions.
It said the contest for the seat would be keen in view of the fact that whoever wins the day had the better chance of occupying the seat that had never been won by any other political party.
In view of that, it said all the candidates had secretly started soliciting for support from the party’s members, especially polling station chairmen and other executives who would determine their fate at the primary.
Asked about the chances of each of the candidates, the source said Mr Darfour, who was also a Special Assistant to Dr Francis Osafo Mensah, a former Eastern Regional Minister, seemed to be the favourite.
It explained that the two other popular candidates, Mr Seth Adjei Baah and Okerchire Adusa, were likely to have some problems because Mr Adjei Baah went solo during the 2008 elections and Mr Adusa had also been an MP for three terms, and according to the source members of the electoral college think he must give way to a new face.
The source, however, said it would not be surprising if Mr Owusu Addo or Madam Agyekum carried the day.
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