The calamity that has befallen some fallen Members of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the recently held primaries is about to happen to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West, Madam Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, as polling station executive’s begin canvassing for votes against her.
The move to get Ursula out of parliament started some months ago when the executives kicked against a directive by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP to allow only females to contest in the constituency primaries.
The executives organized series of demonstrations and petitioned the party’s presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, to compel the NEC to withdraw the directive, after suspicion that Madam Ursula Ekuful was behind it.
The executives claim, among others, that Madam Ursula’s actions and utterances against her constituents are not befitting of a leader that can unify the party for victory in the 2016 elections, threatening that if she was retained, they were going to vote ‘skirt-and-blouse.’
They still maintain their support for the presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, so would vote for him but reject Ursula. “I am ready to give my vote to the NDC if anybody imposes her (Ursula) on us, even if they come and share money,” one of them said.
They cited an instance where Madam Ursula caused the arrest of an NPP member in the area for challenging her over an issue and when a polling station executive intervened, she caused his arrest too. She is also accused of arrogance towards those who approach her with matters affecting the party and in an instance she was alleged to have said that she was just ‘managing’ the executives and party members and would show them her true colours when she gets through with the constituency primaries.
That statement has infuriated many of the party members who perceive it not only as arrogant but disrespectful to those whose work and votes ensured she became Member of Parliament.
One of her rivals in the upcoming primaries, Mr. Theophilus Tetteh, who resigned his chairmanship of the constituency to challenge her, is said to be gaining grounds, especially in areas considered Ursula’s ‘would bank.’
The executives see in him a better candidate and are poling all resources to give him upper hand over Ursula.
Though Ursula is aware of what is going on, she appears unperturbed and that, in the opinion of executives, is working to their advantage.
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