Ballot snatching: Carlos Ahenkorah saved NPP from disgrace – Adwoa Safo

Former Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Adwoa Safo, has stated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should be grateful to former Tema West MP, Carlos Ahenkorah, for saving the party’s reputation during the election of the 8th Speaker of Parliament.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Adwoa Safo explained that Ahenkorah’s controversial decision to snatch and chew some of the ballot papers helped prevent a major embarrassment for the NPP.

“Why do you think Carlos went to snatch the papers and destroy them? He knew that if the number of ‘no’ votes had been revealed, it would have been a disgrace for the NPP, so he had to act swiftly, but he suffered for it,” she said.

Safo was responding to rumors suggesting she had voted against Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, the then-Speaker of Parliament. She vehemently denied these claims, calling them “vile rumors” and insisting that she had no reason to vote against Oquaye.

“Even during the primaries, the issue came up, but I dare the NPP leadership to come out and confirm that only two people voted against Prof. Oquaye. It is not true,” she said.

The former Deputy Majority Leader revealed that there were tensions among MPs before the election of the Speaker. In light of this, they reached out to President Akufo-Addo for guidance on potentially proposing a second candidate for the position.

“We wanted the then-President to propose at least three names so the MPs could select their preferred candidate. The writings were clear on the wall, and they were not silent about their displeasure,” she noted.

Adwoa Safo emphasized that she was dedicated to her responsibilities and pointed out that if she had intended to vote against Prof. Oquaye, she would have chosen to avoid the stress of the situation entirely.

“I am committed to my work, and if I had any plans of voting against Prof. Oquaye, I would have saved myself the stress,” she concluded.

“I would have slept in my house because I was even stuck in traffic and Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu had to send his motorcade to bring me to parliament for the voting,” she stressed.

Recounting the chaotic process, she noted that Speaker Alban Bagbin was not elected due to the votes cast but consensus between both sides.