Klottey Korle re-run: loser happy

One of the defeated candidates in the New Patriotic Party’s Klottey Korle parliamentary primary, Nii Adjei Tawiah, has welcomed a decision to have a re-run. Mr Tawiah said that the re-run was important because there have been divisions in the constituency ever since Nii Noi Nortey was pronounced winner of the earlier election. In his view, a new election will help mend wounds and close ranks within the party in the constituency ahead of the November polls. Mr Tawiah and another defeated candidate, Philip Addison, jointly challenged the results of the first primary in court. The party’s Steering Committee on Thursday, February 4 said it will organise the re-run following a decision to that effect by an Accra High Court. But the elected parliamentary candidate, Nii Noi Nortey has accused the party of working in the interest of his closest contender, Philip Addison. Aide to Nii Noi, Prince Kissi Yeboah, said his boss will not contest in the re-run. “We are not going to take part in a re-run because it’s going to be a very bad precedent that we will be setting as a constituency… when the day came for them to come to court to move that particular motion, they refused to come.

So, I think there is some foul play somewhere. “It was the party that organised the election, the Electoral Commission was there. Everything was free and fair, and, so, why are we running again? “So, should anybody else go for an election and lose and drag the party to court… we just go for a re-run? This is not fair, the party should be bold, the party should be consistent in their decision.” However, the deputy general secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen has advised the party to take a second look at the matter.

“The court ordered that there should be a re-run, and that is it. Once the court has ordered that there should be a re-run, who am I to challenge that? I am reported to have said that I disagree with the decision of the Steering Committee. That is not it. Considering my position, who am I to say that I don’t buy the decision of the Steering Committee? What I’m saying is that … when we went there… the impression I gathered myself, that is why I said that if it will be well for us, we should go back to the drawing board and take a second look at the matter.”