Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye, has moved to quell speculation that he is positioning himself to challenge Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings for the Korle Klottey parliamentary seat — while stopping short of ruling out a future bid.
Speaking in an interview with Bola Ray on Starr FM, Neequaye affirmed his deep roots in the constituency and his standing within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but insisted he has no immediate plans to unseat the incumbent.
‘I Am From Osu’
The DVLA boss said his pedigree in the constituency makes him more than qualified to contest the seat, should he choose to.
“I am an indigene of Korle Klottey. I am from Osu. My hometown is Osu. I cut across all the four traditional areas of Osu,” he disclosed.
He noted that as a committed and dedicated member of the NDC, who has served the party in various capacities—- from a young age, he would not be breaking any law by seeking the seat currently held by Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, daughter of the NDC’s founder, the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
“If I’m in that seat, it is not against any law. I have the right to go and contest for the seat. This is my third time as a constituency executive. Let me tell you, at age 17, I was a branch secretary for NDC,” he said.
Despite his government appointment as CEO, Neequaye said he remains an active constituency executive, having previously served as a polling agent and constituency communications officer before his current role as constituency vice chairman.
Not Contesting in 2028
The DVLA chief sought to calm the nerves of the incumbent MP, saying he is not eyeing the seat for now and she can focus on serving her constituents.
“If I want to contest for that constituency seat, I am here. I am good and enough to do it, but I have said 2028, I’m not contesting. I don’t know if the Lord will change my mind in subsequent years, but for 2028, I’m not contesting,” he stated.
However, he left the door ajar, cautioning that circumstances can change.
“Even 2028, never say never. I can decide to contest; I don’t break any law,” he added.
‘I Don’t Hide My Ambition’
Neequaye stressed that he has never hidden his political ambition and will declare his intentions openly when the time comes — but for now, the MP can rest easy.
“If I want to contest today, I don’t go against any law. For me, I don’t hide my political ambition. If I want to contest, I will say it clearly: I want to contest. For now, I have not made up my mind, so Dr Zanetor should relax. The way she is going around, she should relax. I am not going to contest her,” he said.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, who was recently sworn in as Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, has held the Klottey Korle seat since 2017.
By Gifty Boateng