I’ve rejected NDC’s offer, says Fomena MP-elect

Andrews Amoako Asiamah, the MP-elect for Fomena, in the Ashanti Region, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) approached him to join the party in the eighth parliament, come 7 January 2021 but he rejected the offer.

Amoako Asiamah said he has decided to join the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus for the coming session. He was previously a member of the NPP.

“They [NDC] were just trying to approach me to see the need of being on their side, but I was frank with them that my constituents have told me that in spite of all that has happened with my party, they want me to be with the NPP, and therefore I’m here because of them [Fomena constituents],” he said.

Vindicated

“So what they told me is what I’m going to do. So I made it clear to them (NDC),” Amoako Asiamah said.

“I appreciated the effort of approaching me but I also … told them that this is my position and it’s the position of the constituents.”

Listen to Amoako Asiamah below:

He said he believes the NPP has learned lessons and will not commit the same mistake again.

He added: “Now that I have been vindicated, I think the party, even though we’ve not discussed that matter … I can tell you the party is learning [from] some of the mistakes they made. So that is what I’m looking for.

“I hope that, going forward, the party will look at some of these issues very critically.”

Welcome decision

Meanwhile, the NPP in the Ashanti Region has described Amoako Asiamah’s decision as welcome, though it is yet to decide his fate following the candidate’s announcement.

Francis Adomako, the regional organiser for the NPP, told Asaase News’s Jonathan Ofori in an interview that Amoako Asiamah’s engagement with the party leadership will determine the way forward.

“This is welcome news,” Adomako said, “in the sense that, once upon a time, the MP for Fomena was voted on the ticket of the NPP.

“…So if, for now, Honourable Asiamah has decided to go with the NPP come 7 January, then it is welcome news. Even though what I’m saying is not a collective decision, I personally believe that the party in the region will be welcoming this particular news,” he said.

Amoako Asiamah withdrew from the NPP to register his reservations in relation to what he termed “machinations to get him out” during the party’s primaries.

He lost that content in June 2020 and subsequently filed to run as an independent candidate in the 7 December polls.

“Reject independents”

During the campaign, President Akufo-Addo said parliamentary candidates who broke away from the NPP to run as independents could not help his government achieve its goals.

“Anybody who is contesting as an independent candidate cannot be a diehard member of the NPP. If you’re NPP you can’t contest independently,” the president declared during his campaign in the Ashanti Region a few weeks ago.

“Especially when you refuse to honour my invitation over the issue, then it means you don’t regard me [Akufo-Addo], and I can’t work with someone who doesn’t respect me,” Akufo-Addo said.

At least ten disgruntled MPs from the governing party announced they were going to run as independent candidates in the December elections.

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