Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo has refuted claims that she voted against the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) nominee for the position of Speaker Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye during the voting process on 7 January 2021.

According to the Dome Kwabenya MP, she had “absolutely no motivation to vote otherwise” and has called on all well-meaning Ghanaians and supporters of the NPP to disregard such claim.

In a statement issued and signed by the Dome Kwabenya MP on Wednesday, 13 January, 2020, the legislator noted that her attention had been drawn to rumours on “mainline and social media” suggesting that she voted against Prof. Oquaye.

“It is being alleged that I voted against Prof Oquaye because he [Prof Oquaye] allowed his son to contest me in the recent past Dome Kwabenya parliamentary primaries of the NPP in the run up to the 2020 general elections. How absurd!,” the statement noted.

The Dome Kwabenya MP stated emphatically that, “there is no iota of truth in these vile rumours and speculations, and I call on all and sundry to completely disregard same. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state without any shred of doubt that, I, Sarah Adwoa Safo, voted for Prof Mike Oquaye.” 

The MP continued that: “In the over 20 years of my active political life, I have always stood for and publicly supported decisions of my party, the NPP. My unquenchable loyalty and commitment to the NPP over decades can certainly not be shaken by an ordinary internal contest within the party. At every stage of my parliamentary political life, I have been contested, and at no point have I begrudged my fellow contestants.

“Whilst it is indeed true that since 2007, I have been contesting in the Dome Kwabenya parliamentary primaries of the party, it is undeniable, that, regardless of the outcome of each contest, I never hesitated in deploying my time and resources at the disposal of the party to ensure that Dome Kwabenya remains our traditional stronghold election after election.”

The statement further continued that: “I have never, and can never hold any grudge with any person(s) that contest me in our party's primaries. It therefore comes to me, as not only egregious, but also highly unconscionable for anyone to suggest that I would betray my party merely because I was contested in the recent parliamentary primaries of the party.  

“Beyond that, it must also be recalled that I contributed to the debate on the floor of parliament at that special sitting, making a solid case for the party’s nominee, Prof Mike Oquaye to be re-elected as the Speaker of the august house.”

 The MP reiterated that “she was the only female Member of Parliament who spoke for the party’s nominee on that faithful day. Having made a case for the re-election of Prof Mike Oquaye as Speaker, what at all would be my motivation to vote against him? This, certainly, beggars belief.  

“Also, as the immediate past Deputy Majority Leader and a 3-term Member of Parliament, I am not oblivious of the devastating consequences of not having the Speaker on the side of the governing party. I therefore could not have contemplated putting my party and government in such an uncomfortable and dire situation by voting against the party’s nominee for the position of Speaker.” 

She added that: “Notwithstanding the viciousness of these malicious allegations against my person, I remain resolute and focused on my work as a Member of the august house to the service of my constituents, my party and of course, the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in delivering prosperity to the Ghanaian people.”

Prof Oquaye lost his position to former MP for Nadowli Kaleo, Alban Bagbin, who was elected as the next Speaker of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic after a chaotic voting exercise in the chamber of parliament.

Prof Mike Oquaye, served as Speaker of the Seventh Parliament.