Tina Mensah petition NPP to disqualify CODA CEO Ahmed Shaib

Tensions are rising within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Weija Gbawe constituency of the Greater Accra Region as the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, also the Deputy Minister for Health, Tina Naa Ayele Mensah has called on the delegates to sign a petition against Mr. Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Chief Executive Officer of the Coastal Development Authority (Coda) who is also contesting.

The petition filed by the incumbent MP as gathered is seeking the disqualification of the Chief Executive Officer of the Coastal Development Authority, who has officially submitted his nomination form to contest in the upcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Primaries in the Weija-Gbawe constituency.

In the 2016 General Elections, Jerry Ahmed Shaib contested the Ablekuma South constituency seat on the NPP ticket but was defeated by Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

However, the Incumbent MP who went unopposed in the last Parliamentary Primary party, claims some executives swayed by financial influence, have imposed the CODA Boss on the constituents, despite the candidate not residing in the constituency.

Determined to fight for her position, Tina Mensah has petitioned the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NPP to investigate the matter and potentially disqualify the candidate to enable her to go unopposed for the second time.

Tina Mensah in a series of engagements with the media said she remains confident that her track record of accomplishments and dedication to the constituency, hence the need to go unopposed.

Over the weekend, the incumbent MP, through one of his aides, a former Deputy Constituency secretary, Evans Adams allegedly called the delegates to meet at a certain hotel and signed the petition against the CODA CEO.

Meanwhile, Mr Daniel Parker Odarlai France, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the NPP recently delivered a stern warning, declaring that no sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) will be permitted to run unopposed in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.

Mr France stressed that this decision aims to rectify past mistakes that contributed to the party losing numerous seats in the last general election. Contrary to any perception of protection for certain MPs, he clarified that there was no directive from higher authorities to that effect.

Currently, the constituency has been divided into two as some delegates are backing the CODA CEO and some are also on the side of the incumbent MP.

However, the incumbent MP, in another way pushing more efforts to achieve her targets, through some of the Executives and some polling agents of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency have raised concerns against the conduct of the CoDA CEO by accusing him of being a stranger to contest the parliamentary primaries for the area.

According to them, Jerry Ahmed Shaib is not a known active member for at least two years, or a registered member or voter in the constitu­ency.

They also claim that Mr Shaib did cast his ballot in Ayawaso Central Constituency in the 2020 elections and was the parliamentary candidate for the party in Ableku­ma Central Constituency in 2016 which they described as double standards and indecision of the CEO.

Addressing a press conference on their behalf at Weija Seth Apreku-Danquah, the convener, insisted that Mr Shaib had not contributed towards the politi­cal fortunes or nurturing of the Weija-Gbawe Constituency since its inception in 2012 or even when it was part of the then Weija Con­stituency.

He explained that the activi­ties, intentions, and actions of Mr Shaib in the constituency were a threat to the peace, harmony, and unity of the constituency which undermined the NPP rules and regulations governing parliamenta­ry primaries.

“Ms. Mensah and the majority of us have considered and sacrificed both in cash and in-kind towards the progress, growth, develop­ment and fortunes of the NPP in Weija-Gbawe Constituency since 2012 to date but Mr Shaib is clandestinely and through ne­farious means met polling station executives in all the 14 Electoral Areas in series of meetings,” Mr. Apreku-Danquah alleged.

Meanwhile, some of the constituents who have also benefited from the projects undertaken by the CODA CEO believe that it was a clarion call by the delegates, opinion leaders, and residents of Weija-Gbawe Constituency, following gross disrespect and abysmal performance from the incumbent MP.