Ken Agyapong To NPP NEC: Only A Fool Doesn�t Change His Mind; Contest Should Be Opened To All

A leading Member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Executive Council (NEC), Hon Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has called on his fellow Council Members to take a second look at the adopted proposal by the party to disallow men from contesting female MPs.

According to the Assin Central Member of Parliament, it is a brilliant idea to empower women to climb the political ladder but if the entire party members are against the decision of the NEC because of wrong timing as others have shown interest in certain seats, then it is wrong to hold on the communiqué.

Speaking on Okay Fm’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, Hon. Ken Agyapong who was present and partook in the decision to empower incumbent female MPs said there is nothing wrong with the decision however if the larger membership of the party thinks the timing was wrong, then there was the need to have a second look at it, adding that “it is only a fool who doesn’t change his mind”.

Discounting claims that the proposal was put forward by the party's flagbearer, Nana Akufo Addo, pointing out that it indeed originated from the NPP parliamentary caucus and was rather supported by Nana Addo at the NEC meeting when it was tabled.

According to him, it was the party’s National Chairman, Paul Afoko, National Youth Organiser Sammy Awuku and National Organiser John Buadu, who at the NEC meeting, cautioned against the move in their arguments, whiles he [Kennedy Agyapong] personally felt it was a good policy to encourage females.

…..I think that the decision which I’m part of should be abrogated; it is not every rule that is adopted which may go down well for the acceptance of all. This is my position now; if you look at the series of demonstrations and the agitations from our members then we have to understand them. If the party folks say the contest should be opened to all, then we must accept their call and work with it”, he surmised.

Touching on the adopted proposal that coastal constituencies in the Greater Accra Region should be contested by Ga indigenes, except in exceptional circumstances, the NPP firebrand said that proposal was not part of the final adopted communiqué, and disclosed that the National Chairman, Paul Afoko could not justify his reason to leave those areas for the indigenes after questions were raised by other members of the NEC.

To him, the idea of trying to please the Ga chiefs to leave the Greater Accra Constituencies for the indigenes is wrong because those areas have always been contested by the Gas and they lose the elections.

He said the best idea was for the National Chairman to have been bold enough to explain to the Ga Chiefs that NPP does not have a winnable candidate.

You don’t just go out of your way and issue a blanket decree simply because some Ga Chiefs are angry because we don’t use Ga people to contest Constituencies in the Greater Accra region dominated by Ga's. From Sege to Dansoman, how many foreigners are there that the Ga Chiefs are angry with the NPP? You don’t choose a candidate they want while the people will not vote for them; it is as simple as that. When we encourage these things, it results in creating divisions in the party because we selected Gas and they eventually fail to win their seats”, he lamented.