NDC took the people for granted – Peter Amewu explains how he won the Hohoe seat
Current Minister for Railways and legislator for Hohoe constituency Mr John Peter Amewu has brushed off allegations of gerrymandering to aid him to win the seat in the constituency and a region known to be one of the major strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress.
Though he took political watchers by surprise as he clinched the seat for the New Patriotic Party what sparked such allegation from the opposition was the fact that prior to the election, the Electoral Commission being the body in charge of managing elections had to effect some new demarcations in the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi areas since these areas were no longer part of the Volta Region and Hohoe Constituency but were now part of the newly created Oti Region necessitating such move from Ghana’s electoral commission.
Article 47 (2) stipulates that no constituency shall fall within more than one region and since Hohoe (in the Volta region) and the Guan District which is to be created for the people of SALL (in Oti region) now fall under two different regions, the Guan district can no longer be part of the Hohoe constituency
Though the area was part of the Buem constituency, with the creation of the new district, the EC was under obligation to create a new constituency to give the people a representation in the 8th parliament.
However, this was not done before the December, 7 general elections.
This sparked fury from indigenes in the area especially as they only got to vote in the presidential elections but could not vote for a Member of Parliament to represent them in Parliament in essence denying them a representation in the 8th Parliament.
A legal tussle ensued as Mr John Peter Amewu won the seat in Hohoe Constituency with some people securing an injunction against gazetting the newly elected legislator in the area. He has since been cleared and he is currently serving his first term as the lawmaker for Hohoe.
Some of the concerns of SALL have also been addressed with the inauguration of the Guan district on Friday, October 8, 2021, following a Legislative Instrument laid in Parliament by the Minister of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe in 2019.
Mr Amewu defended his position citing that this was not the issue of gerrymandering but rather the National Democratic Congress took the people for granted and cautioned that if they continue on that trajectory they will lose most of their seats in the region.
The legislator recounted how when he was contesting for the seat people doubted but he has since won the seat, making him the only Member of Parliament in the Majority Caucus from the Volta Region.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
