2020 Polls: NPP to snatch Kpone-Katamanso seat from NDC as hopeful Hopeson Adorye touts credentials
A Parliamentary Aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hopeson Adorye says he will capture the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the ruling party in the next presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 2020.
According to him the fortunes of the largest opposition party in the constituency has been dwindling election after election with the ruling party gaining grounds.
Performance of NPP against NDC in the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency (Parliamentary Elections)
| 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | |
| NPP | 19.6% | 29.5% | 33.0% | 32.5% | 40.9% | 45.42% |
| NDC | 59.5% | 52.2% | 53.8% | 63.0% | 57.3% | 51.37% |
Source: Electoral Commission
He confirmed to The Ghana Report in an exclusive interview that he will be contesting the NPP primaries and expressed optimism of winning the party’s primaries as a first step to securing the seat for the governing NPP.
“I am confident that I am coming in to win as a Member of Parliament (MP), I am not just coming in as a candidate. If you look at the previous elections, the NDC will win by a difference of just 20,000; 18,000; 11,000. If you take a look at the results of 2016; the last election, the difference was 3,000. I can tell you this constituency now is more or less cosmopolitan so I am confident of winning this constituency. NPP is winning hands down and we can win with a difference of 10,000,” Mr. Adorye said rather confidently.
Some members of the Ghanaian public have criticised young appointees of the Akufo-Addo administration of seeking ‘secure’ jobs in the bossom of the country’s legislative body, Parliament, but, that is not the case for Hopeson Adorye. He says he has an ambition to add to the quality in parliament and enhance the process of democratic governance in the country.
The NPP firebrand, who is a former Assemblyman and Constituency Secretary for the area emphasized the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency needed a visionary leader and lobbyist who could deploy those qualities to solve the many developmental challenges confronting constituents.
Mr. Adorye emphasized,” The message is that we want someone who will lead the constituency, someone who is a lobbyist. When we talk about development, when it comes to major infrastructure development, we need someone who can lobby to make sure we get it there and once NPP is in power, we are sure of our second term with me as a Member of Parliament, I can do a lot of lobbying to ensure we can do major infrastructure development in the area.”
He commended the incumbent and out-going Member of Parliament for the area, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, who is also a former Greater Accra Regional Minister for ensuring the construction of some roads but stressed more needs to be done to see a facelift in the constituency. He says given the opportunity, he will use his influence to improve the fortunes of the constituency.
“The sitting MP has done his best. At least, I can say that the Katamanso-Appolonia-Oyibi road was done under his tenure, it’s a plus but majority of the roads are bad and that is where I will come in. Like I was saying, you need to lobby hard and with us in government, we will be able to do something. There are a lot of industries around and we can see how they can also help in the construction of some small lanes that they can do it on their own. It’s a matter of dialoguing and having a clear vision,” Hopeson Adorye said to TGR.
The governing NPP recently outlined guidelines and modalities for the conduct of the party’s parliamentary primaries in orphan constituencies ahead of the 2020 Parliamentary Elections.
The orphan constituencies are areas where the party does not have sitting Members of Parliament.
According to the timetable released to the media and signed by General Secretary John Boadu, the party would open nominations for the orphan constituencies from July 20, and close on August 3; whilst elections would be conducted on September 28, 2019 simultaneously across the country.
Checks conducted by The Ghana Report indicates that four other parliamentary hopefuls have expressed their intentions of contesting the NPP primaries in the constituency but were yet to file their nominations.
The incumbent NDC MP, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, is stepping down after assuming the role of traditional chief in the Katamanso area.
He has held the seat for two terms and his exit from Parliament brings new perspectives to the struggle for the sole seat.