Violence broke out during a National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary confirmation hearing in the Greater Accra area’s Odododiodio Constituency on Friday, October 13, 2023.
Three NDC parliamentary candidates for the Odododiodio constituency appeared before the Greater Accra NDC vetting committee, and that’s when it all started.
Emmanuel Nii Okai Laryea, Michael Nii Yarboi Annan, and Alfred Kotey Ashie are the three.
Members of one candidate’s camp attacked the vetting committee with rocks and destroyed party property, including chairs and an air conditioner, alleging unfairness on their part.
At the regional party office in South Louisiana, there was an uproar.
The current MP, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye,, has formally declared his exit from the race.
Chaos at NDC South La Regional Office during the vetting of three parliamentary aspirants for the Odododiodio constituency, as the incumbent MP, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, is out of the race.
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The election has been scheduled for October 31, 2023 as a result of this unexpected development, and three candidates have already filed their nominations to run for the parliamentary position.
These prospective candidates will go through a thorough vetting procedure on a specific date before the choice is made.
Since 2013, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, who serves as the district’s Member of Parliament, has been a prominent figure in the political landscape of Odododiodio.
His journey started during the 2012 elections when he won an emphatic 63% of the vote. He was successful in keeping his position in the subsequent election cycles, winning with 57.04% in 2016 and also in 2020. He has long been a recognizable figure in the area, diligently advancing the needs of the populace.
The NDC is in the process of choosing a new candidate, so this sudden withdrawal is a significant development.
It not only denotes a change in the constituency of Odododiodio’s leadership, but it also prompts inquiries into Nii Lantey Vanderpuye’s reasons for resigning.
The screening procedure for the new candidates will be crucial because it will give a glimpse into the party’s future and reveal who will represent the NDC in the upcoming elections.
In Ghana’s Greater Accra Region, the Odododiodio constituency has a long history of political conflict and has recently become a hotbed of electoral conflict.