NDC BIG GUNS FALL

Posted in: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, November 23, 2015

There were major shocks in last Saturday’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries that selected the ruling party’s parliamentary candidates for the 2016 general election.

Notably, names that are not going back to Parliament include Ishmael Nii Armah Ashittey (Klottey Korle), Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore (Adentan), Dr Mustapha Ahmed (Ayawaso North), Alfred Agbesi (Ashaiman), Joe Gidisu (Central Tongu), Dr Alhassan Yakubu (Mion) and George Loh, who was defeated by a university student, Joycelyn Tetteh, for the North Dayi constituency, among other heavyweights.

New Entrants

New entrants like Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) boss Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Dr Ezenator Rawlings, Kobby Acheampong, Clement Apaak, Eric Don Arthur, popular comedian Kwami Djokoto, Sam Kwesi Fletcher, Samuel Atta Mills, Dr Henry Seidu Danaa, Haruna Halidu, Ahmed Adamu Ramadan, Bede Ziedeng, Rockson Nelson Dafeamokor, said to be Woyome’s lawyer and Dr Mu-Awia Zakaria are going to lead the NDC in the various constituencies in next year’s polls.

 Chieftaincy and Culture Minister, Dr Henry Seidu Daanaa, defeated Alhaji Ameen Salifu in Wa East, polling 2,969 votes as against the incumbent’s 2,738 votes.

Radio Gold’s Alhassan Suhuyini stood the stiff competition by five other aspirants to become the candidate to lead the party in Tamale North. He polled 3,433 votes, representing 44.69% while his main contender and former MP, Abukari Sumani, secured 1,069 votes, representing 13.92% of the total votes cast.

At Klottey Korle constituency, Dr Rawlings aka Osu Lagata, polled 2,549 to shock veteran Nii Armah Ashittey who had 1,578, while at the KEEA constituency, Samuel Atta Mills, brother of the late President Mills, had 3,356 to subdue his closest challenger, Mathew Kwofie (684 votes).

With 1,210 votes, Nurudeen Mohammed won in the Dome Kwabenya constituency while Seth Kwami Djokoto polled 1,415 to win at Tarkwa Nsuaem.

AMA boss Alfred Oko Vanderpuije polled 3,298 votes to defeat Wisdom Dodoo (1,259) at Ablekuma South while incumbent Rashid Pelpuo had 4,945 to win in Wa Central. But NDC communicator Abraham Amaliba’s dream of making it to Parliament evaporated in Bolgatanga Central when he was thrashed by Isaac Adongo who garnered 3,358 votes.

At Effutu, television personality Eric Don Arthur had 1,694 ballots to beat Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of National Service Secretariat (1,262) in a close contest, while Nii Ashie Moore was defeated in the Adentan  constituency by Ahmed Ramadan, a presidential staffer, by 2,387 votes.

Kwasi Oppong Ababio, with 2,480 votes, emerged winner in Sunyani East while New Juaben South went to Ransford Boakye with 1,698 votes and Ernest Norgbey defeating Alfred Kwame Agbesi, deputy majority leader, in Ashaiman.

Victoria Hamah, who switched from Ablekuma West to Kintampo North, could not succeed as she was defeated by Kwasi Etu. Edward Bawa, who works at the Ministry of Energy, won in Bongo.

Still in it

Some of the big names that managed to retain their seats include Foreign Minister Hanah Tetteh at Awutu Senya West, deputy ministers Queenstar Pokua Sawyerr (Agona East) and Kwaku Rickett Hagan (Cape Coast South).

Others include Majority Leader Alban Bagbin, Nadowli Kaleo; Amadu Sorogho, Madina; Joseph Yiele Chireh, Wa West; Alijata Sulemana, Sissala East and James Klutse Avedzi, Ketu North.

The rest are Volta Regional Minister Helen Adwoa Ntoso, Krachi West; Kwesi Bedzrah, Ho West; Richard Quarshigah, Keta; John Jinapor, Yapei Kusawgu; BA Regional Minister Eric Opoku, Asunafo South; Hannah L. Bissiw, Tano South; Mahama Ayariga, Bawku Central and Dominic Ayine, Bolgatanga East.

Interior Minister Mark Owen Woyongo was retained in Navrongo Central while his deputy, Jame Agalga, won in Builsa North, with veteran Cletus Avoka winning in Zebilla.

‎Francis Adu-Blay Koffie and Herod Cobbinah, MPs for Prestea Hunni-Valley and Sefwi Akontombra respectively, lost the NDC’s parliamentary primaries. 

In the Prestea Hunni-Valley constituency, Adu-Blay Koffie, who polled 2,700 votes, lost the bid to the District Chief Executive of the area, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, who had 3,196 votes. 

The incumbent MP for Sefwi Akontombra, Herod Cobbinah, also lost his bid to one Kenneth Yeboah. 

Alfred Kwame Agbesi lost to Ernest Norgbey, a procurement officer at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). He polled 5,171 votes to win in all the 35 polling stations in the constituency, with the deputy majority leader obtaining 1,745 votes.

The MP for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa (AOB), Madam Georgina Nkrumah Aboah, the MP for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK), Christian Anthony Dadzie and the MP for Gomoa West, Francis Kojo Arthur, lost their seats in the Central Region.

Anthony Dadzie lost to Dr Samuel Kweku Hayford while Francis Kojo Arthur was defeated by Samuel Kwesi Fletcher, communications manager for the Volta River Authority (VRA). In the Upper East Region, the Bolgatanga Central MP, Emmanuel Opam-Brown, lost to Isaac Adongo while Dominic Azimbe, incumbent MP for Garu, was also defeated, likewise Ben Noah Azure, MP for Binduri.

In the Northern Region, prominent MPs, including  deputy Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP) for Mion, Dr, Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, Majority Chief Whip and MP for Savelugu, Hajia Mary Salifu Boforo and MP for Daboya Mankarigu, Abudu Nelson Baani, were all voted out.