Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says it is too early for him to say if he will run as a parliamentary candidate or not in the North Tongu seat.
Okudzeto Ablakwa has been accused of starting an early campaign and luring people with money to vote for him. According to reports, he is said to be a frequent visitor in the North Tongu constituency of the Volta Region.
The sitting MP for the area, Hon. Charles Sename Hodugbey incensed by these clandestine maneuvers by the Deputy Minister has vowed not to succumb to the tricks of the man he regards as "a stranger to the party."
Speaking in an interview with Suhini Alhassan on Radio Gold, the Deputy Information Minister denied reports that he is using covert means to garner support for his alleged ambition to be a parliamentary.
�I am not campaigning because it is not yet time. I always do well to abide by the rules and regulations of the party. It�s a clear fabrication. I think it is very unfortunate and I wish this energy will be used to pursue the �Better Ghana Agenda� and not on a fabrication which is without evidence�,� he added.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, August 11th, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia announced guidelines for the party�s parliamentary elections in the orphan constituencies (constituencies which have no representatives for the NDC).
According to him, nominations for those constituencies will be opened on September 15, 2011 and will close the following day for vetting to begin. He, however, pointed out that nominations have not yet opened in areas where the party has sitting MPs.
He called on all who intend to vie for those seats, but who are serving in official capacities to resign their positions before campaigning, and also warned other aspirants to stay away from campaigning in those constituencies since the time is not yet up.
Mr Hodugbey is said to have howled, �Deputy Minister my foot�, in outright defiance and readiness to call the bluff of Ablakwa when his attention was called to the fact that the gentleman he is daring is a minister.
�I don�t see him as any serious threat. Serious threat in what way? Because he is a deputy Minister? Deputy Minister my foot!� he told Citi FM on Wednesday.
In response to the obvious sneer at his position, Okudzeto Ablakwa said he is saddened by the derogatory word used by the sitting MP against him, since indirectly the NDC MP has disrespected the Office of the person who appointed him.
�If you say minister my foot; if you make statements like that, even if you don�t respect me, indirectly you are insulting the one who appointed me�,� the Deputy Information Minister said.
Source: Rebecca Quaye/Peacefmonline.com
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