Parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Amasaman, Yahya Kassim Atta, has disclosed why he contested in the parliamentary primary.
The candidate stated that they decided to contest the election due to the potential threat of the constituents voting against the incumbent MP, Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensah.
Appearing on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM, he said several surveys and polls conducted in the area disclosed that the constituents were going to vote against the MP because they claimed he had failed.
The estate developer refuted claims that he was a political novice, contrary to what some individuals have described him as.
He touted his contributions to the party, stressing that he was part of those who financially contributed to the victory of the NPP in the 2020 parliamentary and presidential elections.
KAS, as he is affectionately called, disclosed that the chiefs, residents, and other stakeholders in the constituency threatened to vote against the MP because they felt he had disappointed them.
To help retain the seat, he sacrificed to contest in the primary so that the NPP would not lose the seat.
“A survey or research was conducted on the constituency, and the outcome was that the NPP was going to lose the seat. Nobody brought me in. I realised our seat was shaky and we were going to lose it. We therefore needed a new face to ensure that we retained the seat.
The community, pastors, chiefs, and everybody else had threatened to vote against the MP. So we needed a new face to help the NPP retain the seat. They claimed Afrifa had disappointed them, and so we needed a new face to help us retain the seat. That is why I contested and won. The constituents have promised to vote massively for the NPP, he told host Kwabena Agyapong.
The candidate said he would not say the MP had failed, but rather that he had done his best.
As I said, we conducted a survey, and it showed that the people were no longer interested in seeing Afrifa as their MP.
“The survey was done, and it reached the Jubilee House. As someone who has contributed immensely to the party and worked with the chiefs and people in the constituency, they approached me and asked that I contest since I am someone who understands them better than anyone. That was why I contested,” he added.
By: Rashid Obodai Provencal/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
