Political Scientist Dr Alidu Seidu says the decision to always allow wives of murdered MPs to contest seats in their constituencies will give room for mischievous partners to take advantage.
According to him, it is becoming a norm for political parties to easily settle on close relations to murdered or dead MPs to contest for the seat in their constituency.
This he explains is a way to rake in sympathy votes for the party. But partners who are not in good terms with their husbands who are MPs and the mischievous wives will also take advantage of the phenomenon.
He noted that this may not always work because on moral and humanitarian grounds constituents and even party members will sympathise with the widow but will not be in support for her to represent them.
Dr Alidu believes this will be a test case if a precedent will be established.
Even though John Mahama and Lydia Alhassan among others have benefited from sympathy votes, Dr Alidu said it may not always be the case and this situation of the NPP settling on Ms Ophelia Hayford, wive of slain Mfantseman MP Ekow Quansah Hayford, to contest will be a good test case.
He advised that the situation can also be looked at again because the experiences of the murdered MP cannot automatically be transferred to the wife.
Background
General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) John Boadu said the party’s decision to choose wife of murdered Mfantseman MP Ekow Quansah Hayford to contest the seat is widely accepted and backed.
Reports today October 13, 2020, indicated that Mrs Ophelia Hayford wife of late Ekow Hayford will replace her husband to contest the Mfantseman seat on the ticket of the NPP come December 7.
The lawmaker was shot and killed instantly on a road last week, with the initial reports linking the shocking death to a possible robbery case and his death has generated a lot of talks.
This is similar to what Lydia Alhassan replacing her late husband Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko who was MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon but passed on in office.
Ms Lydia contested in a by-election in 2019 and won to become the seating MP of Ayawaso West Wuogon.
John Boadu confirming the reports said they engaged in a wide consultation before coming to a consensus.
“It is true that the wife of late Hayford will contest the seat on the ticket of the NPP. I have been to the constituency several times the whole constituency set up and leadership of the party deem it fit that his wife is the backbone of the husband and knows the constituency very well and considering the large support the husband had and even the difficulty they are going through, a lot of the constituents believe that we should let the wife continue. Just as I said there was massive consensus and they was no defence at all we will formally announce it, she has resigned from her position as a Police officer”.
