But for Fomena MP, governance would have been difficult for you; reward him, make him PC – Ben Ephson to NPP

Pollster and Managing Editor of the Dispatch, Ben Ephson has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must repay the loyalty of the Fomena Independent Legislator, Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah by making sure that he contests and wins in the NPP’s upcoming parliamentary polls to the become the Parliamentary Candidate (PC) in 2024.

According to Ben Ephson, but for the decision of the 2nd Deputy Speaker to align himself to the NPP in the House, governance would have been very difficult for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the party.

Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, originally a member of the NPP, was dismissed from the party ahead of the 2020 elections. The incumbent MP for Fomena contested as an independent candidate in the polls and won. This was after he was disqualified from contesting the party’s parliamentary primaries ahead of the 2020 elections.

He also had his seat declared vacant in Parliament.

Incidentally, he became the deciding factor as to whether the NPP was going to form the Majority or not in the 8th Parliament after both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) polled 137-137 seats each.

Despite his sacking from the party, Mr Amoako Asiamah chose to do business with the NPP, the critical decision that made the party Majority in the 8th Parliament.

Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 with host Dzifah Bampoh on Saturday February 26 on the internal polls of the NPP, Ben Ephson said ” I think that the NPP needs to repay the faith the independent candidate has placed in the party.

“Yes, there should be election but I think the party should find ways and means or bring its weight to bear on those who are going to vote, that without the Independent aligning with us in the legislature, running of the government would have been very difficult because he is the one who breaks the 137-137. So, I think that following the tenets of democracy, there must be an election but there must be ways and means of the party also facilitating the victory of the independent candidate for Fomena.”

His comments come after some aggrieved youths of the NPP in the Fomena constituency vowed to reject any move by the party to impose Mr Asiamah on them.

Addressing the media on Wednesday February 23 in Fomena, Micheal Ankapong, aspiring youth organiser said “we will resist any attempt by NPP party executives to impose the independent candidate together with his supporters on the faithful NPP supporters within the constituency.

“Some executives have met with the Independent candidate for Fomena constituency, Hon. Andrew Amoako Assiamah to bring on board his supporters to contest on party internal elections,” he said.