Three NDC MPs Lose Primaries

Three incumbent Members of Parliament of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region have lost the parliamentary primaries in their bid to retain their position in the next parliament. They are Mr Jacob Hayibor of Hohoe-North constituency, Ms Akua Sena Dansua of the yet- to- be North-Dayi constituency and the Mr Francis Osei Sarfo also of the yet-to-be Krachi Nchumuru constituency. At Anfoega, a young lawyer, Mr George Loh, polled 99 votes to beat the Minister of Tourism, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, and a university don, Mr Bright Kodzo Gavua in an election held to select a parliamentary candidate for the North Dayi constituency last Sunday. Ms Dansua polled 87 votes with Mr Gavua 83 votes in an election keenly contested after which the losers pledged their support to the winning candidate to ensure total victory in the December elections. Ambassador Oscar Ameyedewo congratulated both the winner and the losers and expressed the hope that all of them would unite to fight the battle ahead with a common front. He urged all eligible voters to come out in their numbers without any self restraint and cast their votes on the elections day. At Kpando, a businesswoman, Mrs Sena Sowah polled 129 to beat five other contestants to become the parliamentary candidate for the Kpando constituency in the December elections. Other contestants and their votes were, Mr Charles Nkansah, an engineer, 40 votes; Mr James Kofi Fonu, national youth organiser of the NDC, 36 votes; Mr Joe Kpenge, a consultant, 14 votes; Ms Margaret Krampa, educationist, four votes; and Ms Veronica Elloh, an educationist with four votes. In an address, the regional secretary of the NDC, Mr Simon Amegashie-Viglo, advised them to rally behind the winner to fight a common goal. He announced that the national congress would be held at Kumasi on August 30 to confirm the flag-bearer for the party. The Kpando municipal chief executive, Mr Francis Ganyaglo, said the people were grateful to the government for creating the municipality to be co-terminus with the constituency. He added that it was therefore the first ever constituency conference to be held. He said it was a family contest with a balanced gender equation and added that the losers of the contest were still useful to the constituency, the municipality and the nation as a whole. Mr Ganyaglo said there was a project to show in every community and would thus serve as a monument to the achievements of the government of the day. The constituency organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Anthony Tengey, said the invitation extended to the party to attend the primaries was unprecedented and expressed the hope that the gesture would serve as the beginning of an era to contest elections in a peaceful manner. He recounted incidents of acrimony in the last election and prayed that the level of aggression displayed with clubs and cudgels would not be repeated stressing that every party in the nation was concerned with the progress of the nation and that should not call for unnecessary acrimony. For his part, the first vice-chairman of the Convention People�s Party (CPP), Mr Harry Augustine Nutsukpo, said unity should be the fulcrum for all political events from now on. He also thanked the NDC in the constituency for inviting the CPP to the primary. He said it was a gesture worth emulating. The national representative of the NDC at the primary, Right Reverend Professor Richard Lartey Lawson, underscored the essence of the citizenry in national development and said the NDC draws it strength from the grassroots. Other results are that Ms Helen Ntosoo polled 172 votes to beat Mr Perry Ofosu and Ms Gladys Adjei who polled 117 and two votes respectively to be elected for Krachi West constituency while Mr John Majisi polled 179 votes against Mr Francis Sarfo with 91 votes. In the Adaklu yet -to -be constituency, Mr Kwame Agbodza polled 99 votes as against Mr Emmanuel Ganaku, 54 votes, Dr Samuel Buame, eight votes and Mr Raymond Akpatsa with eight votes, and in the proposed Akatsi-North constituency, the District Chief Executive, Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe was elected with 150 votes against Mr Elikplim Atitsogbui with 24 votes and Dr Stephen Torkpo, 28 votes. The Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, was returned unopposed as candidate for the proposed Agotime-Ziope constituency.