The New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries in Bantama took an unexpected turn as Francis Asenso-Boakye, the incumbent Member of Parliament, and his opponent, lawyer Ralph Agyapong, nearly came to blows amidst escalating tensions.
The incident unfolded when Asenso-Boakye, seeking re-election, decided to showcase his vocal talents by singing at the voting center, a move that Agyapong vehemently criticized as unprofessional behavior befitting a Member of Parliament.
The situation reached a boiling point, prompting the intervention of both police and Electoral Commission officers present at the scene, preventing further escalation and maintaining order during the crucial primaries.
In a post-incident media interview, Asenso-Boakye defended his singing, claiming that Agyapong accused him of lacking self-respect for engaging in the musical display. Additionally, he denied allegations of delegate camping, emphasizing that the morning devotion was open to anyone who wished to join.
“The guy was upset that I was singing, and he said that I don’t respect myself, that was why I was singing,” stated Asenso-Boakye. Regarding the camping allegations, he emphasized, “Nobody can camp delegates. These delegates are as old as my grandfather, so how can you camp your grandfather, how can you camp your father? Nobody has camped anybody. There was a morning devotion and some people decided to join me.”
In stark contrast, Agyapong criticized his opponent’s behavior, labeling it as unprofessional for someone holding the position of a Member of Parliament. He recounted, “The police instructed both of us to come and sit here. When we came, they were discussing with us the election process, and they made us understand that we have to calm our tempers and all that, and he started insulting me.”
Expressing his disapproval of Asenso-Boakye’s actions, Agyapong questioned, “Can you sing in an election center? It is very unprofessional, so Ghanaians should look at the kind of minister that we have. This is a Minister of State, Works and Housing. Very unprofessional. This gentleman, if it had been any other country, do you think he would qualify to be a minister of state? We should be ashamed of ourselves.”
As the Bantama constituency watches this electoral drama unfold, it remains to be seen how these events will impact the outcome of the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries in the area.
