The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has served notice any parliamentary candidate who contests as an independent candidate should they lose the primary will face punitive sanctions.
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Such a conduct, according to the party’s General Secretary, John Boadu is gross indiscipline which will not be countenanced.
“We will not tolerate any indiscipline this time. Let anyone try and see,” he stated while reacting to concerns raised by party members on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday.
The NPP‘s defeat in 2008 was attributed hugely to key members who contested the elections as independent candidates after losing their primaries.
The party then decided to make prospective candidates to sign a contract to support whoever is elected winner. Failure to heed to this, the candidate loses his or her membership.
This seems to have worked as those who tried it have suffered the penalty, but ahead of its primaries for the December 2020 polls, there are already agitations as some are rooting for sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) to go unopposed.
In a rebuttal, John Boadu on Ekosii Sen said there is no cause for alarm since party leadership has not taken any such decision.
He stressed that, they have created a level playing field for any candidate who is ready to contest.
The NPP General Secretary noted that, they have put in place modalities that would ensure there is no internal wrangling ahead of the crucial elections.
This notwithstanding, Mr Boadu said any failed candidate who goes independent will be punished.
“Even if the person wins the elections, he or she would not be allowed to sit with the NPP MPs in Parliament. Such indiscipline must not be encouraged,” he added.
Source: Ghana|Adomline.com|Adwoa Gyasiwaa Agyeman
