Failed NPP parliamentary aspirant for the Klottey Korle constituency, Nii Noi Nortey, has declared his intention to contest the seat as an independent candidate.

The former chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the constituency said although he does not have the support of the presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he has that of the grassroots and is confident of snatching the seat from the NDC in the November polls.

Nii Noi lost a re-run of the primary in the constituency last month to prominent lawyer Philip Addison. The re-run became necessary after the first round of voting which he won was marred by boycotts of two other candidates. 

Addressing the press on Wednesday, Nii Noi Nortey said the decision to conduct a re-run of the election was not fair, the reason for his refusal to accept the results and contest as an independent candidate.

"While others may have the big men on their side, I have the foot soldiers. As our abortive court petition showed, elections are won on the ground, at the polling stations, not in court.

"As Addison said, he has the blessings and backing of Nana Addo, I, Nii Noi, have the blessings and unflinching backing of the grassroots.

"I shall contest as parliamentary candidate in the 2016 parliamentary elections, as the face of hope to the youth, women and elderly and to the people who have believed in the streetism campaign," he said.

He said prior to February 27, 2016 re-run and following strenuous efforts by managers of the party to get him to contest, certain modalities for the conduct of the polls were agreed on but these weres ignored.

“The election was then to start at 8am but unfortunately it begun at 7am. There was no accreditation for delegates and my agents recorded a total vote cast of 715 contrary to the figure being tossed around by the EC as 765.

"In the past week, many including Youth Groups, Opinion leaders and most importantly the women who sell in the markets of Adabraka, Osu, Asylum, Tudu, etc. have called on me to contest the 2016 Parliamentary elections with or without a political party and I am immensely encouraged by the show of support," he continued.

He said his objective of entering the race is to give the constituents, especially the youth a sense of belonging and hope and not hopelessness and "to help them find jobs and enable them create their own businesses."

Nii Noi Nortey after losing the re-run of the parliamentary primaries held last month stormed out of vote-counting centre.

In the hotly contested polls, Addison polled 396 to beat him. Nii Noi Nortey obtained 367 votes out of the 765 votes cast.

Philip Addison, who was lead counsel for the New Patriotic Party during the 2013 election petition had the backing of Nii Adjei Tawiah, the NPP's parliamentary candidate in the last two election in the re-run.