Four out of the five northern regions, namely Upper West, Upper East, Northern and North East regions also had their fair share of surprises with six sitting MPs suffering defeats in the just-ended parliamentary primaries of the NPP.
The six are the MP for Navrongo Central, Joseph Kofi Adda, who is the Aviation Minister; MP for Walewale, who doubles as a deputy Agric Minister, Dr Sagre Bambangi; Mr Charles Bintin, MP for Saboba; Wahab Suhuyini Wumbei, MP for Tolon; Patrick Adama, Sissala West MP; Godfred Bayong Tangu, MP for Wa East; and Ridwan Abass, MP for Sissala East.
Joseph Kofi Adda lost the seat to the Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage, in a keen contest. She polled 307 votes as against Mr Adda’s 266 votes.
Ms Abayage would become the first female to occupy the Navrongo Central seat, if she is able to go ahead and beat the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will present at the parliamentary election in December.
A Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, Lariba Abudu, also unseated the MP for Walewale, Dr Sagre Bambangi, who was third in the race.
In the Northern Region, Deputy Free Zone CEO Alhaji Habib Iddrisu beat the incumbent Tolon MP, Wahab Suhuyini Wumbei, with 174 margin. Habib Iddrisu polled 338 votes while the incumbent got 164.
Still in the Northern Region, a former Local Government Minister and incumbent Saboba MP, Charles Bintim, in another fierce contest, lost his chance to represent the NPP in the next elections to Mr Jawol Abraham, who had 211 votes, against Mr Bintin’s 132 votes.
In the Upper West Region, three sitting MPs also lost the primaries. The MP for Sisala West, Patrick Adama, lost to Nalwie Baluwie. The winner polled 271 votes and incumbent MP got 145.
The Wa East MP, Godfred Tangu, also lost contest to one Salifu Yakubu, who polled 210 votes as against that of 168 votes obtained by the sitting MP.
In the Sissala East constituency, the incumbent MP, Mr Ridwan, also lost to Issahaku Amidu Chinnia, in a two-horse-race contest. Delegates of the party gave Mr Chinnia 233 votes while Mr Ridwan got 172 votes.
Meanwhile, some sitting MPs retained their candidature to represent the NPP in the upcoming 2020 general elections.
They are Local Government Minister and MP for Nalerigu Gambaga, Hajia Alima Mahama; Deputy Roads Minister and MP for Lawra, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo; and MP for Nanton, Alhaji Hardi Tuferu.
Western/Central battle
Contrary to predictions by Francis Ndede Siah, Western Regional chairman of NPP, that no sitting Member of Parliament in the region would lose the parliamentary primaries, four of them suffered defeats.
Joe Mensah, the Kwesimintim MP, lost the battle to his sole contender, Prince Hamid Armah, with 167 votes as against 222 polled by the winner.
In the Mpohor constituency, John Kobina Aboah Sannie bagged 192 votes to unseat incumbent MP, Alex Kofi Agyekum, who had 100 votes. Ato Panford, the incumbent Shama MP, also bowed to his two-time contender, Samuel Erickson Abeka. He had 209 votes against the 263 polled by Mr Abeka. Patrick Bogyako Kwame Saime, MP for Amenfi East constituency, also lost to Edward Amo Kow.
No surprises
A cross-section of their constituents interviewed by the Daily Statesman said they were not surprised at outcome of the primaries.
According to them, they saw these defeats coming because the MPs had become unpopular and would have miserably lost the December 7 general elections had they been endorsed by the delegates.
Again, the constituents said research conducted by various independent bodies ahead of the primaries did not favour the four who are said to be blaming some regional party executives for their woes.
Party members in Takoradi, Effia, Ahanta West and Wassa Amenfi East constituencies, however, jubilated over their MPs landslide victory at the primaries.
Results from Central Region also show most of the incumbents sailing through, with only two of the incumbent MPs, Abraham Odoom, of Twifo Atti Morkwa, and Anthony Effah, of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, losing their seats.
Seven lose in Ashanti
The story was not different in the Ashanti Region where seven incumbent MPs also failed to secure their seats.
Daniel Okyem Aboagye lost the Bantama seat with 122 votes to Deputy Chief of Staff Asenso Boakye who had 456 votes.
The tough battle also saw the incumbent MP for Manhyia South and Chairman of Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee, Collins Owusu Amankwah, also failing to hold on to his seat. He was beaten by Akwasi Konadu who will lead the party in the 2020 parliamentary elections for Manhyia South.
In Offinso South, the Chairman of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, Ben Abdallah Banda, was defeated by Isaac Yaw Opoku who had 458 votes, against the incumbent’s 161 votes.
The Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Stephen Amoah, in one of the fiercely contested primaries in the Ashanti Region, unseated the incumbent Kennedy Kankam with 332 votes at Nhyiaeso. The incumbent had 315 votes.
The Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, also lost the chance to return to Parliament, as John Kumah, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovative Programme, won with 397 votes.
Another incumbent, Prof Joseph Qwam, MP for Manso-Nkwanta, also failed in his bid to get re-elected to lead the constituency for the second time.
He lost with 142 votes as against George Obeng’s 213 votes.
Kojo Appiah Kubi, MP for Atwima Kwanwoma, will not be leading his constituents in Parliament for the 2020 elections after delegates refused to give him another term. He lost to Mr Amankwah Manu who had 410 votes as against the incumbent’s 73 votes.
Source: Daily Statesman
