Wa, the capital of the Upper West Region, went silent after delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region refused to renew the mandate of incumbent chairman of the party Alhaji Malik Issahak.
Known for his generosity and ability to lead the party since 1992, most political pundits had predicted the 65-year-old to win the first-ever contested Upper West Regional chairmanship position.
But it came as a great surprise to many when he managed to pull only 27 out of the 135 valid votes cast.
The usual jubilations that engulf the Wa township after such elections was absent as party bigwigs including some of the defeated aspirants sneaked out of the GNAT hall where the elections took place into town unnoticed.
A 59-year-old graduate farmer, Mathew Sung-aabu popularly known as Matco, who was the least talked about especially in the capital pulled a surprise when he marshaled 44 votes, beating his closest contender Alhaji Abdul-Nasir Mohammed Saani popularly known as Bunas by 5 to lead the NDC in the region.
Alhaji Seidu Bawa, Upper West Regional coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and Suleman Musah Ayamga were also elected as first and second regional chairmen respectively.
The rest of the regional executives are: Dominic Ziniyel Secretary, Adams Issahak organizer, Prince Razak Abdul-Moomin treasurer, and Issah Kantajare propaganda secretary.
The rest are Thomas S. Mwinbahara, deputy organizer, Eunice Kaminta, deputy propaganda secretary, Alhaji Nura Danwanaa, deputy secretary and Samba Sumbawiera, deputy treasurer.
Mr. Matco, the newly elected chairman, speaking after his victory pleaded with his colleagues who lost the elections to still remain committed and rally behind him and the rest of the executives to improve the fortunes of the NDC in the region.
He said: �We will hit the ground running together as a team. There is no winner or loser, the important thing is that our party, the NDC has won. So let�s work as a team and move the party to the next level.�
Mr. Matco was emphatic that though the NDC has been winning the national elections right from 1992, records indicate that their margins keep reducing hence �there is the need for a concerted for all of us to work hard to change the trend�.
The elections were supervised by the electoral commission.
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