Prof. Kwesi Yankah and Hopeson Adorye
The
New Patriotic Party (NPP) went to the polls last Saturday to elect
parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2020 general election.
The
candidates were elected in about 106 constituencies known as ‘orphan constituencies’
where the ruling party does not have Members of Parliament (MPs).
The
exercise was characterized by intrigues, side dramas and even the sudden death
of a delegate was recorded.
A
candidate who brought branded mini saloon cars to a constituency with the
intention to give them out had a rude shock of his life when he lost the
contest and in anger left with his cars.
Sudden Death
There
was a sad spectacle in the Ablekuma South Constituency of the Greater Accra
Region where a delegate—Jonathan Nii Otu Ankrah—collapsed while waiting to cast his ballot.
He
fell and hit his head on the ground, and was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching
Hospital which was a few yards from where the voting was taking place but,
unfortunately, was pronounced dead.
Sources
say the delegate reportedly died from a heart attack.
DCE Faints
The
District Chief Executive (DCE) of Pusiga, Abdulai Zubeiru, also suffered a
shock and fainted as he lost the primaries by seven votes. He had to be rushed
to the Akunye Hospital in Pusiga for treatment.
He
fainted immediately he was declared loser of the primary in the Pusiga Constituency.
He polled 197 votes, just seven votes short of Abdul Karim Dubure’s votes.
Misunderstanding
The
voting process across the country was generally peaceful except for a little
misunderstanding that broke out at Odumase-Krobo in the Eastern Region between
supporters of the two aspirants who contested in the Lower Manya Krobo
Constituency.
There
were delays in starting the voting process in some constituencies, particularly
at Ashiaman in the Greater Accra Region and Somanya in the Eastern Region.
Key Winners
The
Asokore-Mampong Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alidu Seidu, was declared an
unopposed winner for the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region as his
contender, Manaf Ibrahim, was barred by the party from contesting the primaries
despite a court injunction restraining the party from going ahead with the
election in that constituency.
In
the Tamale Central Constituency, Chief Executive Officer of the Nation
Builders’ Corps (NABCo), Dr. Ibrahim Anyars, won the primaries with 539 votes,
while his contender, Abass Zakaria, garnered 172 votes.
The
Northern Regional School Feeding Coordinator, Madam Felicia Tetteh, was elected
as the parliamentary candidate for the NPP in the Sagnarigu Constituency.
Ms.
Tetteh won with 303 votes while Abdul Wahab Alhassan polled 97 votes.
In
the Asuoagyam Constituency, former Managing Director of the Ghana Ports and
Harbour Authority (GPHA), Paul Ansah Asare, emerged victorious as he polled 539
votes against his contender, Kwame Adu Darkwa, who had 131 votes.
Last
Saturday’s primaries marked Mr. Ansah’s fourth time in the contest but his
first time to represent NPP in parliamentary election.
The
2016 NPP parliamentary candidate for Afram Plains South in the Eastern Region,
Willie Hor, was re-elected to represent the party in the 2020 parliamentary
election.
Mr.
Hor secured 307 votes, enabling him to beat Tease District Presiding Member,
Zeneyele Jacob, who had 202 votes out of the 545 total votes cast.
Parliamentary
candidate for Ashaiman in the last general election, Alhaji Labaran Yakubu
Barry, has been declared winner again in the parliamentary primaries of the NPP
in the Ashaiman Constituency.
He
obtained 449 votes to beat Eric Gregory Kwasi Kwatia who had 378 votes, and
Alexander Amanor Narh-Gbeeku, who garnered 203 ballots.
Deputy
National Security Coordinator in charge of Airports, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, was
declared winner in the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency primaries. He won with 321
votes.
Elsewhere,
the DCE of Ada East District Assembly, Sarah Dugbake Pobee, won with 263 votes
to beat her only contender, Betty Korleki Atsupui Quarshie, who garnered 126
votes.
Deputy
Energy Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam was elected as the parliamentary
candidate in the Karaga Constituency. Dr. Amin Adam polled 385 votes while
Alhassan Abdulai had four votes. Affa Sule garnered two votes while Dr. Baba
Sayuti polled 78 votes.
Other
winners included Prof. Kwesi Yankah who contested in Agona East; Mbomba Thomas,
Tatale Constituency; Alhassan Abdallah Iddi, Salaga North; Alhassan Dahamani,
Tamale North; Elvis Botah, Nadowli Kaleo; Dan D. Kuunsogna, Wa West; Dery Gobaah,
Jirapa; Dr. Rashid Kwesi Etuaful, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency where the
consciences of delegates were bought with cars; Edward Osei, Aowin; Martha
Kwayie Manu, Juaboso; Frederich Addy, Dadieso; Musah Abdul-Aziz Ayaba, Mion.
The
rest are Abdul Salaam Hamza Fatawu, Kumbungu; Osman Musah, Garu, Nicholas
Niber, Bia East; Abdul Karim Dubure, Pusiga; Kofi Asante, Amenfi West; Lawrence
Kwame Aziale, Buem; Emmanuel Abole, Bolga East; Thomas Doanab, Talensi; Michael
Sarkodie Baffoe, Kintampo North; Nii Lante Bannerman, Odododiodio; and Joshua
Kweku Abonkrah, Pru East.
Car Drama
At
the Ajumako Enyam Essiam Constituency in the Central Region, Elisha Debrah Odoom,
who had brought 11 saloon cars to the election grounds to donate to the party returned
the cars after losing the contest.
He
had promised to donate the branded cars to the 10 zones in the constituency and
the remaining one to the constituency office for party activities.
Elisha
Debrah Odoom was very confident of winning but he lost miserably to Rashid
Kwesi Etuaful as he polled a paltry 67 as against Mr. Etuaful who secured 411
votes.
Angry
and disappointed Elisha Debrah Odoom quickly asked that all the cars be loaded
onto a trailer and taken to his residence much to the surprise of the delegates.
Key Losers
Key
among the loser were the Deputy Minister for the Oti Region, Maxwell Blagodzi,
Keta MCE, Godwin Edudzi Effah and Ketu South MCE, Elliot Agbenorwu.
Mr.
Blagodzi who is very popular in the Nkwanta South lost with 27 votes to Madam
Sherifa Tijanni who polled 289 votes.
The
Keta MCE, Edudzi, polled 163 against the winner, Dr. Benjamin Dzameshie’s 270
votes.
Another
major loss at Nkwanta North where Joseph Nayan a former MP and minister and
minister during the Kufuor administration contested.
He
managed only 131 votes against the winner, Ben Nador’s 259. Other two contenders,
Batu Kwaku Osei and Makija John polled 45 and 8 respectively.
Smooth Process
NPP
General Secretary John Boadu, in a statement after touring some constituencies,
said the process had been extremely smooth with the delegates of the party once
again rising to the occasion and showing maturity in the conduct of the polls.
On
behalf of the NPP, he congratulated “all the contestants, officials, the media,
delegates and sympathizers of the great elephant family for this successful
milestone. The day has produced only one winner, and that winner is certainly
no particular individual but collectively the NPP.”
“I implore all our sympathizers and the general Ghanaian public to rally behind the new parliamentary candidates of the NPP in these ‘orphan constituencies’ and work in unity to snatch a lot of these seats from the NDC and increase our overwhelming majority in Parliament to continue delivering prosperity to the Ghanaian people,” he added.
By Daily Guide Reporters
