The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has criticised the growing number of cases involving members of parliament (MPs) who lose their party’s primaries and opt to contest the next election as independent candidates.
According to him, this decision by MPs to contest as independent candidates is because they have been pampered by the various political parties. To him, the decision to contest as independent candidates not only disrupts the electoral process but divides the constituents from which these MPs represent.
His remarks come on the back of an ongoing standoff in parliament after the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, declared the seats of four MPs vacant.
The MPs are Cynthia Mamle Morrison; the MP for Agona West, the MP for Suhum, Kwadwo Asante; and Peter Kwakye-Ackah; the MP for Amenfi Central from the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
The MP for Fomena who entered the 8th parliament as an independent candidate has opted to contest the 2024 elections on the tickets of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking on The Big Issues on Channel One TV on November 2, 2024, Cudjoe criticised the NPP’s handling of the situation.
“I am not surprised that they are conjoined in talk and also in action that they could have the nerve to actually say that some people were being disenfranchised…What kind of nonsense is that? You go for an election, an internal matter. It is not as if the ballots were stolen, but then you lose the election with some coming in at 5th position and all of a sudden, they say they are no longer part of the party; what is this nonsense?
“I think the NPP should be interested in and deal with this matter. The NPP is no longer the party we all knew and recognised during the days of and even as late as Kufuor’s time. This is so much indiscipline,” he stated.
Meanwhile, in Agona West the MP, Cynthia Morrison, who is one of the candidates from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but contesting the 2024 general election as an independent candidate, has reiterated her commitment to serving her constituents.
“Improving the lives of people at Agona West and advocating for the constituency’s development continues to be my topmost priority.”
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