The leadership of the National Democratic Congress in the Ashanti Region has refuted claims that there was a deliberate attempt to oust the Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak.
According to 1st Vice Chairman of the NDC in the Ashanti Region, Captain (Rtd), John Kwame Jabari, it is not possible for leadership to endorse his contender as all they wanted was free and fair elections.
“We thought Asawase primaries was going to be close but the golden boy of Asawase, Muntaka came out victorious once again. We couldn’t have sided with any of them, we wanted the elections to be free and fair and that is exactly what happened. The former national chairman of the party had a challenger, our flagbearer John Dramani Mahama was also contested.
“So if someone wants to contest an MP what can we do about it? Anyone who wanted to contest and passed the rules and regulations was allowed and that was something for the delegates to decide. I can’t say that as a region, we masterminded and wanted him to lose, that is not possible, we won’t allow that. As a region, there was no intention of that,” citinewsroom.com quoted the NDC’s Ashanti Regional 1st Vice Chairman as having said.
John Kwame Jabari was responding to claims by former Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, alleging that the party leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) deliberately reshuffled him as the Minority Chief Whip to remove him from parliament.
He noted that the timing of the leadership change, knowing very well he had a contender, meant there was a deliberate attempt to unseat him.
Speaking to journalists days after the party’s primaries, Graphic.com.gh quoted him to have said, “I can confidently tell you that it was a deliberate strategy to eliminate me. Any astute politician would acknowledge that it was indeed a ploy to remove me from my position. Avedzi was not contesting, Haruna faced no challengers, and I was the sole candidate with the competition. Thus, the timing of the leadership change was undoubtedly part of the plan to unseat me.”
Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak faced a tough contest in the parliamentary primaries with his contender, Masawudu Mubarick.
Despite the intense competition, Muntaka emerged the winner after he polled 1,063 valid votes, while his main contender, Mubarick, trailed behind with 735 votes.