Some New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates on Thursday, February 6, 2020, picked nomination forms for Dr. Michael Aaron Nii Nortey Oquaye Junior, Ghana’s Ambassador to India, to contest the Dome Kwabenya Constituency parliamentary primaries.
Oquaye Jnr is the son of Ghana’s current Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye.
Should the party’s Vetting Committee approves Ambassador Oquaye Jnr to contest the primaries on April 25, he would go toe-to-toe with the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Madam Adwoa Safo, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament.
According to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Odei Ansah, the Coordinator for Ambassador Oquaye Junior’s Campaign Team and some party delegates picked the nomination form on behalf of the aspirant at the party’s Constituency Office.
“We thank God, and also say – God richly bless every supporter and delegate of the Constituency who in one way or the other made this history a reality. We believe in humility and calmness, for the job is on the ground. We also use the opportunity to appeal to all delegates to join in the victory train of Lawyer (Dr) Michael Aaron Nii Nortey Yaw Oquaye,” Mr Ansah said.
Oquaye Junior’s parliamentary bid
This is not the first time Oquaye Jnr is making an attempt at the Dome Kwabenya parliamentary slot.
His father, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye was the NPP Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya for two terms, from 2004 to 2012.
Prof. Oquaye later decided not to stand for another term and sponsored his son, Mike Oquaye Jnr. to fight to be the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency in 2012.
But Oquaye Jnr, however, lost to Sarah Adwoa Safo, who went on to win the seat during the general elections.
NPP Parliamentary Party scheduled for April 25, 2020
The New Patriotic Party has slated April 25, 2020, to elect the remainder of its Parliamentary candidates.
It will also be holding its Presidential Primaries on the same day. The party has already held primaries for constituencies that do not have sitting Members of Parliament.
The party pegged filing fees for its upcoming parliamentary primaries at GHS20,000 and an additional GHS2,000 for picking of forms.
They also indicated that “all aspiring parliamentary candidates other than the sitting Members of Parliament will pay a Party Development Fee of GH¢30,000.”
by Nerteley Nettey
