Chaotic scenes vandalism, arson, violently expressed anger and threats have happened across parts of the country where some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are unhappy about persons nominated to become Metropolitan, Municipal or District Chief Executives of various Assemblies.
Such protests have happened in the Okaikwei North Constituency, the Asanti Mampong Constituency, the Talensi Constituency, the Tema East Constituency among other places.
Mampong
The first of such protests started last week Wednesday when the Asanti Mampong Constituency office of the NDC got vandalized with furniture, motor bikes and other items set ablaze by some angry members of the party in that area.
The vexed NDC members vandalized the party office as one of the ways to protest what they describe as an attempt to impose on them a certain Esther Dwomoh as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Mampong Municipal Assembly.
“We couldn’t control the crowd; party properties like chairs and tables were broken and set ablaze at the forecourt of the party office,” Kwaku Bernasko , the Asante Mampong Constituency Communications Officer for the NDC confirmed the incident.
Kwaku Bernasko explained further: “It’s a group of the youth who are agitating about a rumour that is moving around that the Mampong MCE nominee had been given to a lady called Esther Dwomoh. They came to the party office to express their displeasure to the party executives who were around.”
According to the rioters, it is only three party members who have successfully gone through the entire processes of becoming shortlisted for the MCE elections therefore it comes as a surprise to them that after the process has ended, a fourth name is being smuggled in.
The angry NDC members say they would accept any work with any of the three shortlisted persons who emerges as MCE after the elections but would never tolerate the smuggling in of a fourth name.
The three names the rioters said has completed the due process and been shortlisted for the MCE slot were a leading party member by name Imoro Iddrisu, the Asante Mampong Constituency Chairman by name Mohammed Kamil and the 2024 Parliamentary Candidate for Mampong, who goes by the name Yakubu Yakubu.
Tema East
Even before dust settles on the Mampong protests, an angry group describing itself as NDC youth in Tema invaded the compound of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), chanting war songs and burning of tar tires in protest of reports that President John Mahama had nominated actress Ebi Bright as for the position of Mayor of Tema.
The protesters insist Ebi Bright is a wrong nominee because by convention the position has been a preserve of Ga and Dangbe indigenes but not settlers.
One of the protestors by name Dora Sappor who said she was there on behalf of Tema youth and he traditional leaders of the area spoke to the media:
“This morning, we are here with a very heavy heart. The information we are hearing indicates everything that Ebi Bright is supposed to be, the Mayor and they are going to bring her on board as the Mayor of Tema.
“We don’t understand because even the whole process, she was not part of the thing so how come all of a sudden they are bringing her into the whole thing, we do not understand?
“We are not happy and what the youth of Tema East is saying is that we want an indigene. This is the plea of the traditional council and we hope this is not something difficult for President Mahama to chip in. We want an indigene. That is what we all want. This is the only demand of the youth of Tema East and the traditional leaders,” Dora Sappor noted.
Okaikwei North.
The situation was no different in the Okaikwei North Constituency where another NDC group help a press conference to announce that if their preferred candidate, Abdul-Rashid Issah be denied the Okaikwei North Municipal Chief Executive position, they would wash their hands off the party like Pontius Pilate.
“As an MCE, Abdul-Rashid Issah will bring inclusiveness, harmony and participatory governance. Your H.E., we must be blunt, any attempts to by pass Abdul-Rashid, respectfully, in the selection of the next MCE for Okaikwei North muncipality will be met with deep disappointment, resistance and potential demoralisation amongst party faithful”, Abass Yusif Hussein, the Branch Executive and spokesperson noted at the press conference.
The group said there are ripe reports all over the Constituency that a sister constituency of the Okaikwei North Municipality is being pushed by some big hands for the position as against Abdul-Rashid Issah.
Telensi
Citi News Room reports that in the Telensi Constituency, Some aggrieved members of the NDC held a press conference on Sunday to reject the nomination of John Millim Naabwomya as District Chief Executive.
The report said the group cited his alleged close ties with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and warned that it could affect the party’s fortunes in the 2028 elections.
The nomination of John Millim Naabwomya, announced last Friday, April 11, was followed by a suspected arson attack that destroyed the NDC constituency office.
Speaking at a press conference in Tongo, on Sunday, April 13, the spokesperson for the aggrieved NDC members, Charles King Luu, called on President John Mahama to withdraw the nominee immediately, citing concerns about party unity and local support.
