Today can report that a plot to scuttle the parliamentary ambition of Presidential Staffer, Dr. Clement Apaak, by some elements within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been exposed.
Dr. Apaak, who is said to be the ‘darling boy’ of President John Dramani Mahama, is the parliamentary candidate of the NDC for Builsa South in the Upper East region.
Among other contenders, Dr. Apaak will be contesting the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Alhassan Azong, who apparently happens to be his cousin, in the November 7, 2016 parliamentary elections.
But Mr. Azong who is the People’s National Convention (PNC) MP and also a Minister of State in-charge of Public Sector Reforms, seems to be enjoying support from some NDC party top executives, this paper can confirm.
The reason why those NDC people are against Dr. Apaak, this reporter gathered, was because of his relationship with President Mahama.
Those people, according to a source close to the corridors of power, belong to a bloc in the NDC who are against Mahama’s presidency.
“And according to them, anybody who is close to the president like how Dr. Apaak is, they will fight you as an enemy,” the source said.
Meanwhile Today’s investigations have uncovered that the anti-Apaak group in the NDC have already started lending support to the incumbent MP.
For instance, a vehicle with registration number AS 3027 Y was dispatched to Builsa South constituency by some NDC bigwigs with items to be distributed to the constituents on behalf of Mr. Azong.
The items, which were offloaded at the MP’s residence, a source at Mr. Azong’s camp said, included bicycles numbering over one hundred, cutlasses, and some undisclosed items in boxes.
However, some constituents from Builsa South were quite concerned when they spoke to this reporter on Saturday, December 19, 2015 via telephone about the sudden change of the incumbent MP.
According to a man, who gave his name as Adongo, a supposed beneficiary of the said items, he would not be swayed by the gift to change his mind to vote against the PNC MP.
“Why is he now doing something for us? Or is it because he knows he will lose the seat to the NDC man?” he asked.
They could not understand why Mr. Azong failed to use his position as a Minister to lobby for intervention programmes for the area.
“But as for the items if he brings them, we will collect them. However, he will not get our votes. We will this time round vote for Dr. Apaak. Maybe he will help bring the necessary developmental projects to this area,” they indicated.
When Today contacted the MP yesterday, he declined to speak and said: “it was not necessary.”
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