The constituency and polling station executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency of the Western Region have voluntarily picked nomination forms for the former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Catherine Abelema Afeku, to contest the 2024 parliamentary primaries of the party.
The executives were led by the Chairman of the Council of patrons of the party in the constituency, Eric Essien and a former Youth Organiser, Samuel Dwomoh.
The NPP opened nominations for parliamentary primaries in constituencies where the party has no sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) from July 11, 2023.
According to the party hierarchy, nominations will close on Thursday, August 10, 2023, with elections expected to be held from September to December 2023.
Successful candidates would have to pay a non-refundable filing fee of GH¢35,000.00.
However, to encourage more women, youth and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to aspire to higher political office, such prospective aspiring parliamentary candidates would pay 50 per cent on the filling fees, which is GH¢17,500.00.
The former Tourism Minister lost the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira seat which has been one of the swing areas in the region to the incumbent NDC MP, Arko Nokoe.
On record, no sitting MP for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency has won the seat for continuous two terms.
Hundreds of NPP sympathisers in the constituency therefore marched through the streets of Axim, capital of the Nzema East Municipality and later joined the executives to pick the nomination forms.
Mr Essien described Madam Afeku as a hardworking and very popular grassroots politician, stressing that he is happy she has accepted to lead the party to reclaim the lost seat in 2024.
He said, “We have declared our unflinching support for Catherine Afeku to lead the party because of her good track records in the area.”
He said he wished nobody would contest Catherine Afeku in the constituency primary because she brought developmental projects into the constituency when she was MP.
He, therefore, called on the people of the area to rally behind the former MP they refer to as, ‘Nzema Yaa Asantewa’.
Receiving the nomination forms, madam Afeku thanked the executives for the move and for contributing to purchase the forms for her. She promised that when given the nod as the NPP parliamentary candidate for the 2024 general election, she would win the seat.