Cracks In NPP Deepen

Some youth of the New patriotic Party(NPP) together with their executives in the New Abirem Constituency in the Eastern region have mounted intense pressure on their Member of Parliament (MP), Mrs. Esther Obeng-Dapaah to step down. They accused her of being the reason for the NPP�s abysmal performance in the constituency, adding �the NPP risks losing its parliamentary seat in the New Abirem Constituency if the party does not replace the incumbent� Some of the constituency executives who spoke to Today on condition of anonymity pointed out that, the kind of hope that they had in their MP when she first won the Abirem parliamentary seat in the 2004 general elections had died off. According to them, all the promises the embattled MP made to them in 2004 were not honoured. �Our MP has lost track and focus on pertinent issues affecting the constituency and this is a clear sign of betrayal and dishonesty,� the visibly angry constituency executives of the New Abirem NPP opined. They alleged that Mrs. Obeng�Dapaah hired some thugs a couple of months ago to vandalise the party�s constituency office. The NPP party executives further described her leadership style as �unfriendly and irritating� �Mrs. Obeng-Dapaah has raised herself above the people; her leadership style irritates people, even people who want to see her are being rejected and turned down� they stressed. They pointed out that, during the 2012 campaign, the MP assured the youth in the party that she would not contest again in 2016. And according to them, it was by this assurance that the MP received massive endorsement from the party executives in the constituency. The executives recounted what Mrs. Obeng -Dapaah told them about how expensive politics was when she hosted them in her private residence in New Abirem in 2013 at a get-to-gather party. �Do you people know I spent a colossal sum of Ghc300,000.00 in 2011 in my primaries� she was alleged to have boastfully said. ��So if somebody wants to contest me, you (refereeing to her party executives) should ask that person whether he or she has that kind of money� the NPP New Abirem party executives recounted. The youth on their party also argued that �Mrs. Obeng-Dapaah is too old and therefore cannot do vigorous campaign in 2016� They wondered why after 72-years, she still wanted to contest. Earlier, when Today contacted the MP via telephone, she denied all the allegations and called on her constituents to remain calm in the face of all these calculated attempts by her detractors to tarnish her hard won reputation. She indicated that her good works in the constituency would speak for her in 2016.