Only Female Aspirant In La Dadekopon NDC Primary Steps Down

Ms Rita Odoley Sowah, the only female parliamentary aspirant in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) primary for La Dadekotopon, has pulled out of the race to throw her weight behind the incumbent Member of Parliament. She said, �After careful thought and consideration on the many advices from party faithful and elders of the constituency, I have decided to step down for my boss, Nii Amasah Namoale, the current Member of Parliament.� Ms Sowah has been a Personal Assistant to Nii Namoale since 2004. She has therefore called on all her supporters among the constituency delegates to give their votes to the incumbent whom she believes stands a good chance to retain the seat for the NDC come December 2012. She told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that though she believed in change and affirmative action as she espoused earlier when she filed her nomination last month it also became clear to her that, the incumbent MP deserved another term to enable him implement fully his good plans for the progress and betterment of the constituency. Ms Sowah stepped down on Wednesday, a day before the date set aside to vet nominees of the party primary in the constituency. She joined the race as the only female with five male contenders and indicated that she was bringing on board grassroots political experience, exposure and good knowledge of the area and people. Prior to her stepping down, Ms Sowah told the GNA that she was in the race to effectively represent the constituency in Parliament and be able to offer solutions to the kind of change people were asking for. �Women in the constituency needed to be supported and not to be sidelined to contribute their quota too, especially when our party NDC has realised the need to give women a quota in political positions,� she said. Women empowerment through economic avenues, education of every child in the constituency and health and sanitation issues are key areas of interest to Ms Sowah. The other four males to contest the primary slated for January 21, 2012 are Reverend Kelvin Catenor, Sowah Oblejumah, Emmanuel Odoi Yemoh, and Nii Armah.