Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, has disclosed that his decision to contest as a Member of Parliament for the Ayensuano constituency was heavily influenced by Baba Sadiq, former CEO of 3Music Awards, and his father.
Speaking in an interview on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM, Mark revealed that he initially had no interest in becoming a legislator, citing his response during a past vetting session.
“When you went for the vetting, I remember they asked you a question about whether you had interest in becoming an MP, and you said no,” pundit Kwame Dadzie noted.
Mark responded, “Yes, I said no.”
However, the Deputy Minister shared how circumstances changed when Sadiq’s father, a former NPP chairman in Ayensuano, encouraged him to consider the role.
“I was sitting up here [In Multimedia], and I was not a minister. Sadiq’s father used to be a chairman of the NPP in Ayensuano. Sadiq made a call, and his father said I should stand. His father used to give me guidelines,” Mark recounted.
Mark explained that this moment marked a turning point in his political journey.
“It was Sadiq who actually initiated this whole thing. You can ask him. It’s not like I tasted power… it started here.”
To further demonstrate his commitment, Mark revealed that he transferred his vote to Ayensuano before the 2020 elections.
“That is why I changed my vote from East Legon. I did that before the 2020 elections,” he stated.
Watch the video below: