NPP Votes Today

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) will today hold yet another round of parliamentary primaries to elect candidates in certain constituencies to represent the party in the 2016 general elections in those constituencies.

Today's exercise has become necessary as the constituencies concerned were precluded from taking part in the earlier primaries on grounds that they had some pertinent issues to resolve.

However, a last-minute court injunction which came in yesterday will not allow executives in the Sefwi Akontombra constituency to take part in today's exercise. The much anticipated contest at Klottey Korle in Accra between Lawyer Philip Addison and former constituency chairman Nii Noi Nortey will not come off today.

Executives of the party in eight constituencies are, however, expected to vote today. They include the Tema East constituency in the Greater Accra Region where the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, is facing stiff opposition from one Benjamin Nii Armaah Ashittey.

The rest are Akrofuom constituency in the Ashanti Region; Krachi Nchumuru in the Volta Region; Sawla-Tuuna-Kalba, Northern Region; Upper Denkyira West, Central Region; Bia East, Bia West and Juaboso, Western Region.

A statement issued by party General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong maintained, 'The date for the remaining constituencies will be communicated in due course.'

In the Krachi Nchumuru constituency, Wilson Marfo Kpakpladza comes face-to-face with one Innocent Kakateche Tache, while in the Northern Region one Awusi Natoma Mahama would also do battle with James Kipo Sunyehzi in the Sawla- Tuuna-Kalba constituency.

Incumbent MP for Upper Denkyira West, Ben Kofi Ayeh, also comes up with one Samuel Nsowah-Djan, while in the Bia East constituency, Anthony Nimoh Boamah is going unopposed like his colleague John Koah in neighbouring Bia West. Martha Kwayie Manu and Solomon Donkor are set to slug it out in the Juaboso constituency.

The recent primaries produced interesting results, leaving in its wake major casualties with some 23 sitting MPs losing their re-election bids. Key among them were Nhyiaes MP, Dr Richard Anane; Subin, Isaac Osei; Afigya Sekyere East, David Henric Yeboah and Mampong, Francis Addai Nimo.

The primaries also saw the election of some young parliamentary candidates, including a 22-year-old Law student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Francisca Oteng-Mensah (Kwabre East) and 26-year-old Mavis Nkansah Boadu (Afigya Sekyere East).

Today's elections therefore promise to be interesting, looking at the results the last elections produced.

BY Charles Takyi-Boadu