That, he said, was because he was the most well-grounded contestant in the area as compared to the other five contestants who were cleared by the party to contest the primary slated for Sunday, April 23, 2023.

He told the Daily Graphic that as a result of the experience he had gained over the years as a grassroots person with the various developmental initiatives he had undertaken, he was the best person to lead the party for the by-election.

In addition to Mr Appiah-Kubi, seven other persons, who picked nomination forms to contest the NPP parliamentary primary in the Kumawu Constituency by-election in the Ashanti Region, were last Sunday vetted by party executives.

They are the current Director of Health Promotion at the Ghana Health Services (GHS), Dr Aboagye Dacosta; a former MP for Kumawu, Opanyin Yaw Baah; Obaapa Ama Serwaa, Ernest Anim, Dr Philip Yaw Barnor, Edward Kofi Osei and Owusu Bempah.

At the end of the exercise, two of the contestants — Dr Philip Bannor and Lawyer Edward Osei — were disqualified.

During the balloting for positions on the ballot paper, Mr Appiah-Kubi picked the first position, thereby setting the stage for the contest this Sunday.

Highest votes

Mr Appiah-Kubi noted that when he contested the first vice-chairman position with three other contenders, he emerged winner with the highest number of votes of 238 out of the 410 and that showed his pedigree on the ground, adding that “anybody who is competing with me is starting from zero”

According to him, some of the people coming in for the primary were not even familiar with the electoral areas in the constituency and were not known as well.

“I stand tall among the other contenders because of the experience I have gained as a grassroots person,” he said.

Also, when it comes to bringing development to the various communities, Appiah- Kubi claims nobody can beat him.

Work

“I have extended electricity to some other schools in the constituency, I have established an e-learning centre, an educational centre for the constituency.

I have been able to establish a proper sports academy which is running together with another football team,” he said, and that “I have also constructed a mechanised borehole for the first time to the people of Asekyerewa, and provided a free National Health Insurance Scheme cards for over 600 beneficiaries.

Again, Mr Appiah-Kubi said he had donated exercise books to schools, organised healthcare programmes, donated hospital equipment and attended lots of social activities.  

Once elected, he said he would make the Kumawu Constituency a model one for the party and other constituencies to also learn from.

“In terms of unity, we will make the constituency a model one,” he emphasised.