A growing internal disagreement within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kwadaso has seen party supporters take to the streets, accusing Municipal Chief Executive Eric Asibey of failing to adequately engage the party’s grassroots structures.
The protesters, made up of ward coordinators, branch executives and other NDC supporters, staged a demonstration in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, September 16, and subsequently presented a petition to the constituency party executives.
The group is demanding that President John Dramani Mahama revoke Asibey’s appointment, citing what they described as persistent concerns over the administration of the municipality and engagement with party structures.
Speaking to journalists, NDC Branch Youth Organiser for the Sofoline Branch, Abdul Aziz Haruna, said party members had on several occasions engaged the MCE and presented recommendations intended to create opportunities for supporters and improve the welfare of constituents.
He claimed that the concerns raised during those engagements had not been adequately addressed, prompting the supporters to resort to the demonstration.
The protesters are calling on President Mahama, the Chief of Staff, the Minister for Local Government, the Ashanti Regional Minister and the NDC’s national, regional and constituency executives to intervene and consider removing Asibey from office.
One of the issues they raised was the distribution of birds under the government’s Nkoko Nketekete initiative.
They alleged that the constituency received slightly more than 3,000 birds, far below the 10,000 birds they expected to be allocated to constituents.
The allegations have, however, been rejected by the Kwadaso MCE, who maintains that the claims against him lack evidence.
Asibey said he remained focused on executing President Mahama’s mandate in the municipality and dismissed claims that his administration was discriminating against party members.
“What they are saying has no evidence. I can say that they are only trying to concoct something for public consumption. There is no discrimination,” he said.
The development has exposed tensions between sections of the NDC’s grassroots base in Kwadaso and the municipal administration, with the protesters seeking intervention from the party and government leadership while the MCE maintains that the accusations are unfounded.
