The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has confirmed Mrs. Ophelia Hayford Quansah as the 2020 Parliamentary Candidate of the party in the Mfantseman Constituency of the Central Region.
The decision was taken by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at its meeting yesterday in line with Article 12 of the NPP Constitution.
Ophelia replaces her late husband Ekow Quansah Hayford, who was the party’s Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency until his untimely death on October 9, 2020.
He was gruesomely murdered by some unknown assailants when he was returning from a campaign tour.
A statement issued by NPP’s General Secretary, Mr John Boadu said the decision to settle on Mrs. Hayford as replacement for her late husband was taken after extensive consultations with all stakeholders including the constituents of Mfantseman.
Mrs Hayford had been a strong pillar in the political life of her late husband, and certainly, her selection as his replacement can only be a step in the right direction.
NEC, in accordance with Article 10(10) (1) of the party constitution, also empowered the National Steering Committee to find a replacement for the party’s Parliamentary Candidate for Yapei-Kusawgu, Mr. Abu Kamara.
Mr Kamara sadly together with two others died a fatal car crash on Friday.
“The party also wishes to place on record that it had officially notified the Electoral Commission of this sad development and requested for a 10-day extension of the nomination period in line with Section 13(4) of C.I. 127 within which period, the party shall file Mrs Ophelia Hayford as its Parliamentary Candidate for the Constituency. The party will equally do so to be able to file a new candidate for Yapei-Kusawgu”.
Mrs Hayford recently resigned as Assistant Superintendent of Ghana Police Service to accept her new role.
Mfantseman residents believe she has the potential to take up the work begun by her husband.
They had earlier cautioned NPP through their chants not to bring any representative aside Mrs Hayford else there would be no voting exercise taking place in the Mfantseman Constituency.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had charged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure that the killers of late Mfantseman MP were apprehended.
He said the murder of Ekow Quansah Hayford, “is a big blow to me and this is why I have made it known to the IGP that if nothing is done about this particular matter, what will happen will happen.”
President Akufo-Addo said this during his visit to the bereaved family where he noted that the unfortunate occurrence is a test case for IGP, James Oppong-Boanuh.
He also announced that government will assume the responsibility of catering for the widow and her children.
President Akufo-Addo added that the family will also be supported in giving the late MP a befitting burial.
