Philip Addison petitions party over disqualification in Akuapem North

Philip Addison, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant disqualified from the race in the Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region has petitioned the party’s national leadership over the issue.

Mr Addison, who believes his disqualification was “pre-meditated”, in his petition, pleaded with the national leadership to probe the circumstances leading to his removal from the race and he also wants the NPP leadership to reverse his disqualification to enable him to contest in the party’s June 20 primaries.

Ahead of the 2016 general election, he emerged victorious in the NPP primaries to represent the party in the Klottey Korle Constituency in the Greater Accra Region and he, however, lost to Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) parliamentary candidate.

The party’s June 20 primaries will be held in 165 constituencies across the country due to elections in three constituencies have been put on hold and the party will hold the primaries in electoral areas rather than at the constituency level in order to ensure social distancing.

Mr Addison, who was the lead counsel for the NPP in the 2013 Presidential Election Petition case explained that contrary to claims of failing to “nurture the constituency”, he had “given assistance and support to the party for a long time stretching from the time of William Boafo and the previous executives to date.

“Some of my encounters with some members of the party in the constituency who raised issues with my decision to contest for that seat made me believe my disqualification was premeditated but I have contributed my quota to the party, including handling legal cases for the NPP “pro-bono”.

“I have worked hard to enhance the image of the party in the constituency, I have established a rapport with all the traditional authorities in the constituency and within this short space of time I have endeared myself to a majority of the delegates and the electorate and I pray that the vetting committee will find my contributions to the party worthy of recognition.

“I respectfully invite the committee to look favourably on my petition, reverse the disqualification and allow me to contest the parliamentary primaries in the Akuapem North Constituency,” Mr Addison indicated in the petition. -citinewsroom.com