An aggrieved aspirant in the upcoming New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries has moved to put a temporary stop on the elections in the Asawase constituency.
Manaf Ibrahim secured an interim injunction Thursday which restricts the Electoral Commission, “their agents, servants, assigns, privies and any person acting or claiming through them…from conducting the parliamentary primaries at Asawase.”
“The third defendant (Alidu Seidu) is further restrained from allowing himself to be declared or hold out as the sole candidate for Asawase constituency for a period pf 10 days” the injunction said.
This means the elections must be postponed in Asawase as the primaries come off two clear days from the date of issuing the injunction.
Mr. Ibrahim filed for the injunction following after his nomination bid was rejected by the NPP.
The Asokore Mampong Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Alidu Seidu was cleared to run in the Asawase primaries unopposed.
If the part’s decision eventually stands, Mr. Seidu would bid for the seat on the ticket of the NPP unopposed.
However, whoever emerges as the NPP’s candidate has a tough task to complete. The sitting MP for Asawase is Muntaka Mohammed, the Minority Chief Whip.Muntaka has been in Parliament since 2005 and has again been given the nod by his party to represent them in the 2020 general elections despite some challenges by NDC rivals in Asawase.
Who is Manaf Ibrahim?
He is a former Regional Secretary of the NPP in the Ashanti Region.
Manaf is also a staff at the Presidency.
Earlier in 2019, he was suspended from the party for misconduct.
Reports say he made a series of derogatory remarks about the NPP Ashanti branch following the Region’s decision to sponsor the MCE for the area to run on the ticket of the party, a practice supported by the party.
Following his suspension, the NPP’s National Executive Committee has asked for a public apology from him, for his suspension to be reconsidered.
This was communicated in the NEC’s decision to uphold his disqualification from the party’s primaries.
