The incumbent Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer, has reacted to the unveiling of a statue of President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi-Takoradi.
He acknowledged that the decision to unveil the statue faced some opposition, particularly due to the incomplete roundabout at the site.
According to Mr. Mercer, the timing of the unveiling upset many people.
“I won’t sit here and say that we didn’t make mistakes. It’s a human institution, and mistakes happen. I think the timing of the statue was wrong and people were upset, some of us objected. But when you look at the overall contributions of President Akufo-Addo, I believe Vice President Bawumia wasn’t treated well,” Mercer said.
Mr. Mercer also defended the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, particularly regarding the economy.
He disagreed with claims that President Akufo-Addo mismanaged the economy, stating that many of the challenges were global issues beyond the president’s control.
He pointed to factors such as global price fluctuations, which were beyond his control.
He asked, “What is Mahama coming to do? How is it possible for this government to fix the economy?”.
Mr. Mercer also mentioned that the uncompleted Sekondi market played a role in his electoral defeat, acknowledging the disappointment it caused among voters.
When asked about his future political plans, Mr. Mercer stated that he would not stand for re-election.
However, he noted that his decision could be influenced by consultations with his family, party members, and the organization he works for.
“Left to me alone, I won’t contest again because the people have rejected me” he said in an interview on Adom FM/TV as part of post election analysis.
Mr. Mercer acknowledged that he couldn’t begin his campaign early due to his ministerial duties, which affected his ability to connect with voters.
Reflecting on the election results, he said that the people of Sekondi-Takoradi had spoken.
“It’s not as if the NDC has some magic wand to fix Sekondi-Takoradi. They can never meet the expectations of the people,” he added.
Looking forward, Mr. Mercer expressed hope that the economy would rebound, acknowledging that it would not be an easy task.
“I wish the economy rebounds because it’s not going to be an easy ride,” he said.
Mercer lost his seat to Blay Nyameke Armah of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Mercer received 11,084 votes (42.94%) of the total valid votes, while Armah secured 14,558 votes (56.40%). Out of 25,813 votes cast, 171 ballots were rejected.
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