Pro-Tempore election rocks NPP

With all set for the conduct of the long-delayed President Pro Tempore election come this Thursday, the former ruling National Patriotic Party or NPP is reported to be in a serious crisis over who the party should support.

Already, Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor- the party’s Standard Bearer, is in firm support of one of the Candidates, Sinoe Senator Joseph Nagbe of the Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD. Senator Taylor has even been named co-chairman of the Nagbe Campaign- an action by Senator Taylor strongly detested by the Executive Committee of the NPP. 

The party’s National Secretary General, Mr. Andrew Peters, has expressed grave concern over the decision, stressing the NPP’s disappointment in Standard Bearer Taylor.

Gbarpolu County Senator Armah Jallah of the NPP is not being favoured by Senator Taylor for reasons best known to her that she has not made known.

But Secretary General Peters described the decision by the party’s Standard Bearer (Senator Taylor) to support another candidate against the choice of the NPP as a deception and betrayal unacceptable by the National Executive Committee of the party- an argument disclaimed by the party’s

Assistant Secretary General for Administration and a senior staff in Senator Taylor’s Office, Mr. Marvin Cole. According to Cole, the NEC was yet to conclude on the party’s choice in the Pro Tempore election.

He added that despite being appointed by the Nagbe Camp, the NPP’s first partisan has made no public statement regarding who to support in Thursday’s election, saying the NPP as a political institution has not also done such.

He noted that statement alluded to Mr. Peters was personal and did not represent the full approval of the NPP.

“While it is true that the Senator was appointed to another candidate’s camp as co-chair, she has not made any public statement as to who she’s supporting,” he said.

Mr. Cole-also Senator Taylor’s ‘Political Advisor’, accused  Senator Jallah of failing to update due payment for about five years with the finance department of the party, saying: “and so,  Sen. Jallah cannot get the support of the NPP.”

But his claims were disputed by  the NPP Chief Scribe, who confirmed that Sen. Jallah was not indebted to the party, describing the Gbarpolu County Senator as one of the most dependable members of whim the party can boost.

Mr.  Peters said prior to the closure of the nomination process for the Pro Tempore post, there was closed doors meeting with NPP senators, including Senator Taylor wherein  all in attendance agreed that Sen. Jallah was the candidate.

“Our Standard Bearer was in that meeting, and she agreed with the decision. The only person who promised to get back to us was Sen. H. Dan Morais of Maryland. But from all indications, he ( Morais) is in line with the party decision,” he explained. 

The Vice Chairman for Operations of the NPP, Senator Sando Johnson, said warned that any partisan going against the policy and final agreement of the NPP will be suspended or expelled, stressing that the NPP was not taking the Pro Tempore election lightly.

Senator Taylor could not be reached as the NewDawn was told that she had travelled to Bong County for an appreciation ceremony.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor