A parliamentary aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Essikadu Ketan Constituency of the Western Region, Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, is imploring aspirants in the upcoming elections of the party to “try as much as possible to ward off any provocation to run another aspirant down”.
He believes any aspirant who has a genuine love for the party will not run down another party member all in the name of the desire to ascend to a position when the consequences thereof can be telling on the general electoral fortunes of the party.
“That is very dangerous. You are one in the same. You are all in the same party. So how will it ever work for you when you denigrate your fellow aspirant. Whatever the case is, someone will win. So how will you be able to take back your words especially when it has to do with the competences, what ought to have been done and was not done etc.”
Speaking on Takoradi-based Skyy Power FM’s Jolly Breakfast Show, Mr. Bissue described as worrying and unfortunate instances where aspirants from the party attack each other and insists “that is a great disservice to the party”.
“What we fail to realise is that our political opponents take keen interest in our elections. They make notes of all happenings including the insults. And sometimes all what they have to do is to play back what we ourselves said. So how can you defend or wash away what you yourself have said. We just need to be circumspect and not to be seen as desperate.”
According to him, he has sent a strong signal to members of his campaign team that anyone who campaigns on insults and not issues will be “cut off immediately it happens”.
“During my time as the regional secretary, I took a strong exception to campaign of insults and mudslinging. I am now contesting and must be seen as a man of his words.”
He also admonished the NPP’s National Election Committee (NEC) to take a strong stance against campaign of insults, stressing that “NEC should start disqualifying aspirants who fall foul to this, no matter the person and the level of the contest”.
Charles Bissue, a former Western Region Secretary of the party, will be contesting the Essikadu Ketan primaries.
The current Member of Parliament for the area, Joe Ghartey, will not be contesting as he seeks to become the party’s 2024 Presidential Candidate.