Upper East Regional Communication Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abdallah Jonathan Salifu has revealed how one of the aspirants for the party parliamentary ticket in the Nabdam Constituency declined an invitation by leadership to a meeting for peace talks.
Zuuri Francis Sampana, one of the 3 candidates vying for the party parliamentary ticket in the Constituency was in his base in Tamale going about his business when he received a call from leadership of the NDC in the Upper East Region.
The party’s leadership had picked signals of the intense campaign activities by the aspirants and the acrimony that characterised same which it feared could deepen disunity among its rank and file in the area.
They, therefore, took steps to broker peace among the contestants and their supporters by holding peace talks meetings in the area.
But when they placed a phone call to Francis Sampana, inviting him to the meeting, he outrightly declined the invitation.
Mr. Sampana told the Regional Communication Officer of the party, who had placed the call to him, that he and his supporters were not part of those causing trouble and therefore, there was no need for their participation in the meeting.
He directed them to go meet with the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane and legal practitioner, Lamtiig Apanga, whom he believed are the troublemakers and leave him out of such engagements.
“We went to his constituency to go meet the aspirants, their supporters and executives to talk to them on how they deal with issues, accusations and all that so we called him and I said ‘charlie, big Franci we going to your place ooo’. He said ‘no! No! I’m not part of the trouble, go and meet the other two’,” Mr. Abdallah Jonathan recalled.
The opposition party slot for the Nabdam Constituency is being keenly contested by 3 aspirants.
They include the incumbent Member of Parliament, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, legal practitioner, Lamtiig Apanga and Zuuri Francis Sampana.
But the party is worried about the decision of its constituency executives to take sides and openly campaign for their preferred candidates.
The conduct of the constituency executives, Mr. Abdallah Jonathan says, could create mistrust in the electoral processes and make reconciliation difficult if not impossible.
