Africa-Press – Ghana. Boye, former Minister of Health, has thrown his support behind Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Ablekuma North, as he visited polling centres to observe the rerun election process.
Dr Okoe-Boye, addressing the media during his visit, criticised the National Democratic Congress’s call for a rerun in 19 polling stations, suggesting it stemmed from the perceived incumbency advantage.
“If I’m close to winning seats and try to use coercion to tilt things in my favour, that’s not the way we want to go,” he said.
“We all want people to win seats fairly. If Ghanaians blow the wind in your favour, you get the seat, but don’t use that momentum to usurp powers,” he said.
He expressed concern over the precedent the rerun could set, adding: “If we [the NPP] participate and endorse this, then in the future when it’s used against us, we can’t complain. I understand the party’s position.”
Despite aligning with the NPP’s official stance, Dr Okoe-Boye said he felt compelled to support Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie on a personal level, describing her as a friend and colleague.
“My mind is with my party but my heart is with her. When I was in Parliament, she was my office mate. She’s a widow and has gone through a lot—she was physically mishandled and even slapped at the collation centre,” he said.
“Emotionally, all is not well, and so if she decides to contest, my heart is with her. I’m in a difficult position because I respect my party’s position, but I also know what she’s going through. As a physician, I can tell she deserves support and attention.”
He called for vigilance, questioning irregularities such as the reported ban of an entire school complex from voting and incidents involving missing or tampered electoral materials.
Dr Okoe-Boye noted that while the NPP holds a majority in Parliament, winning or losing one seat may not drastically alter the balance of power.
“We have about 88 or so seats; one more won’t change everything, and one loss won’t break us,” he said.
Commenting on the political dynamics, he argued that incumbency offered natural advantages, referencing the NDC’s immediate push for a rerun after the Presidential election was declared.
“Ghanaian voters are becoming more discerning. It’s increasingly difficult to label areas as NPP or NDC strongholds. By 5pm we’ll see whether the electorates here vote based on party loyalty or incumbency advantage,” he stated.
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