President Mahama’s nominee for Ejisu Juaben Municipal Assembly Yamoah Ponkoh, says the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is to blame for his failure to clinch a second confirmation vote as the area’s Chief Executive (MCE).
He pointed fingers at Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Bernard Antwi-Bosiako commonly known as ‘Chairman Wontumi’ whom he says has been influencing some Assembly Members to reject him.
Mr. Yamoah Ponkoh polled 38 votes out of a total of 68 valid votes cast. He needed just eight more to be re-confirmed as MCE for a second four-year term.
Salvaging some positives from the defeat, Yamoah Ponkoh told Joy FM’s Newsnight Tuesday, this result is “far, far better” than the first round ballot in which he got 25 ‘YES’ vote.
But assessing factors contributing to his second defeat in five months, Yamoah Ponkoh says at least 41 out of the 47 elected Assembly members are NPP sympathizers.
He claimed that they have been meeting the Ashanti regional chairman to scheme against him.
“Chairman Wontumi has been moving around bragging that he will make sure that I am eliminated from the system” he says. He critcised Wontumi’s constant presence in the municipality to influence non-partisan District Assembly elections.
“As far as I know, district assembly concept is not supposed to be partisan but ever since President re-nominated me a lot of things have gone on here” he expressed concern.
But Ashanti Regional Secretary Sam Payne has brushed off Mr. Ponkoh’s observations as the “effusions of a bad loser”.
Although 21 government appointees in the Municipal Assembly were changed, Yamoah Ponkoh still lost, he said. Even the NDC supporters resisted in re-nomination by the President last November, Sam Payne continued.
He wants Yamoah Ponkoh to move on from his defeat and stop “crying like a child who has lost a toy”. But building his case further, Yamoah Ponkoh claims even the NDC Ejisu constituency chairman is in bed with the NPP. He said the two are best friends.
Explaining why the NPP would devote attention to blocking his confirmation, Yamoah Ponkoh said the opposition party see him as a real threat ahead of the November general elections. “They see me as a threat to their campaign in the region. They see Yamoah as a very strong pillar” he touted his political strength.
Nonetheless, Yamoah Ponkoh hinted he may abandon his ambitions to become MCE. He believes he is versatile enough to be deployed to other areas of President Mahama’s government.
Source: myjoyonline
