He explained that it was important the party allowed anyone interested to contest the election and win the mandate from the constituents instead of imposing a candidate which could cost the party.

“Despite Mr Amoako subsequently won the election and chose to do business with the NPP group in Parliament, there is no doubt he is no longer a member of the NPP; and neither are his close associates who campaigned vigorously and openly for him in the 2020 elections,” he said.

Mr Amoako was the NPP MP for Fomena from January 2017 until his seat was declared vacant ahead of the 2020 election after he filed to contest the election as an independent candidate.

Mr Agyapong’s reaction comes after some members, sympathisers and supporters of the NPP in the Fomena Constituency declared they will resist a plan to impose Mr Amoako, their Independent MP, as a candidate for Parliament on the party’s ticket as appreciation for his cooperation with the party.

They argued that Article 3(9)(1) of the NPP constitution stated: “a member of the party, who stands as an independent candidate against the officially elected member of the party, or who joins or declares his or her support for another political party, or for an independent candidate, when the party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election, automatically forfeits his or her membership of the party”.

“Article 3(9) (2) of the NPP constitution also clearly stipulates, upon forfeiture of membership, which Mr Amoako and his close associates did in November 2020, such person(s) may reapply for membership of the party and may be readmitted on conditions stipulated in the constitution.”

Mr Agyapong, who was instrumental in convincing the former NPP MP to caucus with NPP in parliament, observed that the best the party could do for Mr Amoako was to accept him back fully into the party but allow a contest which he would win.