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Even before voting commences in today's bye-election in the Talensi constituency in the Upper East region, reports available to The aL-hAJJ show that the leadership of the opposition New Patriotic Party have given up on retaining the seat they won less than three years ago.

Reports indicate that, from the day Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho declared the seat vacant following the installation of its occupant, Robert Nachinaab Doameng Mosore, as Tongo Rana (chief), the leadership of the NPP, particularly its flag bearer and his aficionados, have not been happy.

Information available to The aL-hAJJ indicate that the party's research and election directorate has done thorough work on voting pattern in the Talensi constituency and have found out that results of today's bye-election will not favor NPP.

The Talensi seat has been under lock and key for the NDC since 1992 until 2012 when Robert Doameng Mosore took advantage of infighting among members of the ruling party to snatch the it for the biggest opposition party for the first time.

This paper's investigation has revealed that the NPP's 2012 parliamentary candidate was a former member of the NDC whose failed attempt in 2004 to unseat the then incumbent MP, John Akologo Tia at the party's primaries, pushed him to contest as an independent parliamentary candidate, thereby, forfeiting his membership of the governing party.

Although he could not win the 2004 election as independent candidate, he polled 4582 votes to place third in the election. Giving his performance at the election even as a first timer, the NPP selected him as its parliamentary candidate in 2012 after, having met all the party's constitutional requirements.

As if destined to become MP, Robert Doameng Mosore coolly rode to parliament against the backdrop of deep seated internal rift between supporters of former Information Minister and then Talensi sitting MP, John Tia and Benson Tongo Baba, a retired director of Prison Service and long time president of GOC, to annex the seat for the first time for the NPP with a vote margin of 2,261.

While the NPP candidate won the parliamentary seat with 11380 votes, Nana Akufo-Addo polled 7120 votes in the presidential elections. On the other hand, whereas John Dramani Mahama won the presidential election with 17110 votes, John Tia, the NDC parliamentary candidate, garnered only 9119 votes.

It would be recall that prior to the NDC's parliamentary primaries in Talensi constituency ahead of the 2012 polls, opinion leaders, youth leaders and constituents in general flashed the hazard lights of what could befall the NDC if John Tia was retained to lead the party into the 2012 elections.

The then national executives of the party and the presidency ignored these warnings and went ahead to 'impose' John Tia on the constituents at the expense of their preferred candidate, B.T Baba, who is now the NDC's candidate in today's bye-election.
This development was said to have angered the constituents who collectively decided to back their threat with action by voting "skirt and blouse" thereby giving away the seat to the NPP's Robert Doameng Mosore.

Indeed, it was reported that in the run up to the 2012 elections when President Mahama visited the Talensi constituency in the company of John Tia to campaign, thousands of people who trooped to welcome him continuously chanted "we want BT Baba."

As a result of these glaring evidence coupled with the unity of purpose with which the NDC has conducted its campaign so far, the NPP, The aL-hAJJ's sources noted, have resorted to vile and vicious allegations to cover up for their inability to retain the seat.

The NPP, led by its 2016 flag bearer and national executives, aside accusing the NDC of vote buying, has also launched unsubstantiated attacks on the EC and the police service, accusing them of aiding the ruling party to win.