Written by Justin Tusoe
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) will on Saturday, January 27, hold
primaries for candidates seeking to represent the party in constituencies with
sitting Members of Parliament.
The party, on December 2, 2023, elected
parliamentary candidates in constituencies where it does not have sitting MPs,
known as “orphan” constituencies.
Despite having a commanding majority
of 169 seats in parliament in 2016, the party saw its fortunes plummet in 2020, losing 32 seats, reducing its MPs to 137 and tying with the
opposition National Democratic Candidate (NDC).
The development ushered in Ghana’s eighth parliament which which
became the country’s first ever hung parliament. The hung parliament, resulting
from the 2020 elections, has made decision-making particularly the approval of budgets
and key government deals difficult for the ruling party.
Thus, ahead of the 2024
election, the NPP is poised to elect
candidates who can help the party regain majority in parliament. In an attempt
to put their best foot forward, the party released a set of rules banning Metropolitan,
Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), constituency chairmen and
secretaries from contesting incumbent MPs. In order to contest, they are
required to resign from their previous posts. This is to prevent the usual
internal wrangling and sabotage of sitting MPs which leads to losses in the subsequent
general elections.
As we wait to measure the
success of the process and countdown to this crucial vote on Saturday , let’s
take a look at some of the key issues at stake:
Injunctions
The election
will not occur in six constituencies where sitting New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Members of Parliament hold office.
This decision
comes as a result of court injunctions and other issues brought to the
attention of the national leadership of the party.
The affected
constituencies include Mampong and Fomena in Ashanti, Binduri in the Upper
East, Agona West in the Central Region, Akwapim South in the Eastern Region,
and Sunyani East in the Bono Region.
Statistics
Out of 376 aspirants who underwent vetting to
contest the primaries, 322 have been approved by the party to contest for the
January 27 primaries.
17 aspirants
were disqualified while one aspirant has injuncted the process in the Nhyiaeso
Constituency. Also, 3 aspirants have withdrawn their candidacies.
Unopposed
Out of the 376 aspirants that were vetted, 33 of them are going
unopposed. Those who are going unopposed are the
MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon and First Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Lydia Seyram
Alhassan; MP for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah; MP for Damongo and
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor; MP for Lambussie,
Dr Bright Yelviedong Baligi; MP for Nandom and Minister for the Interior,
Ambrose Dery; MP for Assin South and Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John
Ntim Fordjour, and MP for Upper Denkyira East, Dr Festus Awuah Kwofie.
The others
are MP for Bosomtwe and Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; MP for
Abetifi and Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Yaw Acheampong; MP for
New Juaben South and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere
Baafi; MP for Upper West Akyem and a Deputy Minister of Transport, Frederick
Obeng Adom; MP for Ejisu and a Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Ampontuah
Kumah; MP for Effiduasi, Dr Nana Ayres Afriyie; MP for Offinso South, Isaac Yaw
Opoku; MP for Akrofuom, Alex Blankson; MP for Tano South, Dr Benjamin Yeboah
Sekyere; MP for Dormaa East, Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah and MP for Sefwi
Akontombra, Alex Tetteh Djornobuah.
The rest are
MP for Tolon and Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Alhaji Iddrisu Habib; MP
for Karaga and Deputy Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mohammed
Amin Adam; MP for Gushegu and Deputy Minister of Transport, Alhassan Sulemana
Tampuli; MP for Tatale/Sanguli and Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways,
Thomas Mbomba; MP for Techiman South and Deputy Minister of Local Government,
Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Kwaku Adjei-Mensah Korsah.
Incumbents
not seeking re-election
About 18
seasoned MPs, including prominent figures like Majority Leader Osei
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, First Deputy Speaker Joe Osei Owusu, and flagbearer aspirant
and MP for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong, have announced their decision not to
seek re-election in the upcoming 2024 polls.
Other MPs not
seeking reelection are Atta Akyea (Abuakwa South), Joe
Ghartey (Essikado Ketan), Dan Botwe (Okere), Kwasi Amoako-Atta (Atiwa West),
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie (Sefwi Wiaso), Emmanuel Marfo (Oforikrom), Benito Owusu-Bio
(Atwima Nwabiagya), Carlos Ahenkora (Tema West), Nana Kwasi Adjei Boateng (New
Juabeng North), William Owuraku Aidoo (Afigya Kwabre South), Johnson Adu (Ahafo
Ano South West), Francis Manu-Adabor (Ahafo Ano South-East), Suleman Sanid
(Ahafo Ano North), Kojo Kum (Ahanta West), and Francisca Oteng (Kwabre East).
This development
has sparked concerns and raised discussions about the attrition rate in Ghana’s
parliament and the implications on the quality of parliamentary work in the next
parliament.
Constituencies
to watch
The election
is expected to be keenly contested across the board, but some constituencies
are battlegrounds ahead of the polls. These include Dome Kwabenya, Tano North,
Bantama and Bekwai constituencies.
Dome
Kwabenya: In the Dome
Kwabenya constituency, incumbent MP and former Minister of Gender, Children and
Social Protection Sarah Adwoa Safo is facing a fierce contest from former High
Commissioner to India Mike Oquaye Junior and Sheila Oppong Sakyi, a new entrant.
In the 2020
primaries, Adwoa Safo defeated Mike Oquaye with just 8 votes to become the NPP parliamentary
candidate for the constituency.
However, her extended absence from Parliament,
which nearly led to her impeachment, has created a vacuum that Mike Oquaye
Junior has effectively capitalized on.
It
will be determined on Saturday if Adwoa Safo's apology and return to the
campaign will bolster her chances of getting on the ticket.
Tano
North: In the Tano North constituency,
incumbent MP and Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Dr Freda Prempeh
is being challenged economist and Spokesperson to the Vice President Dr Gideon
Boako
Bekwai: In the Bekwai Constituency, four persons are battling it out to succeed the incumbent First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who is not seeking re-election. They include COP George Alex Mensa (Rtd), Raphael Poku-Adusei, Henry Opoku-Ware and Kingsley Opoku Agyemang.
Bantama: In the Bantama Constituency, Incumbent MP and Minister of
Housing Francis Asenso Boakye is been challenged by Ralp Agyapong, brother of Kennedy
Agyapong.
Constituencies like Abuakwa South, Essikado Ketan, Okere, Atiwa West, Tema West, Assin Central and Suame are also of interest as we look forward to see who replaces the seasoned MPs who are bowing out after the eighth parliament.
Editing by Peter Agbesi Adivor