‘Kwesimintsim Machiavelli’ falls: Kwesimintsim NPP gets new rep

• Posted on September 28, 2016September 28, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Since 2000, the name Joe Baidoe Ansah has been synonymous with Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency before it was gerrymandered to Effia and Kwesimintsim constituencies. Before the gerrymandering, anyone who contested Joe Baidoe Ansah was unsuccessful.

Several reasons were given as to why contenders were failing to unseat him. One of them is the fact that, he is a known figure and to uproot such an iroko tree in the constituency demands state-of-the-art bulldozer that has features of uproot and cut into pieces. Another reason is that, he is a clever politician who knows the ins and out of politics (Machiavelli) as if it is a God given talent; he is simply great at winning elections.

Until Joe Mensah, a man whose name would go into the annals of history in Takoradi as the ‘Last killer’ of Kwesimintsim NPP won yesterday, a national figure like Kofi Coomson of Ghanaian Chronicle,  twice Journalist of the year in Ghana had a migraine contesting Joe Baidoe Ansah. Kofi Coomson even before primaries was disqualified by the party for using the NPP brand to solicit for funds to cushion his campaign. He (Kofi Coomson) later gave up on his political ambition to focus on his multi-million businesses.

Yesterday, 27^th September, 2016 is a day which has been marked in the annals of Takoradi’s political history as a day of shock. In a closely contested primaries at the Obiri Lotteries Headquarters, Assakae, Joe Mensah wrestled power from the incumbent Joe Baidoe Ansah who is silently nicknamed ‘Kwesimintsim Machiavelli’ by NPP members in the constituency.

Undeniably, as a member of parliament for Kwesimintsim constituency, the very good friend of President Mahama, Joe Baidoe Ansah also nicknamed Joe B has contributed to the growth of the area. He has provided basic amenities to the area. Assakae and Whindoh, two suburbs of the constituency which were not considered by many is now two of the plush areas in Takoradi hosting most of the middle class workers in the oil city.  His efforts are greatly appreciated by residents of the constituency but just like there is nothing like a life politician, his tenure has come to an abrupt end. What is disgraceful in politics is a sitting politician who is unseated by a first-timer that is why President Mahama’s father’s advise to Ignitius Kutu Acheampong who served Ghana as military head of state from 1959 to 1978 that “Leave when the applause is the loudest” should be a guiding mantra for every politician.

The results of the primaries were Joe Baidoe Ansah -122 and Joe Mensah 187.

For the purpose of this story, Machiavelli is defined as ‘Someone who is knowledgeable in a field; one who is difficult to defeat’.

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