Temapane MP hopeful of winning NDC primaries to retain seat

The Member of Parliament for the Tempane constituency in the Upper East region, Mary Lamisi Akanvariba is upbeat about her chances of retaining the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 general election.

The NDC has set May 13, 2023 for the conduct of the parliamentary and presidential primaries of the party to elect candidates ahead of the 2024 polls.

Speaking in an interview with this reporter after successfully filling her nomination form, the lawmaker says she is seeking reelection because she possesses what it takes coupled with her hard work on the grounds to retain the seat for the party.

According to her, she has built her capacity and the necessary connections over the past two years and believes with the support of the delegates, she will retain the ticket for the party to guarantee victory in the national elections.

The Tempane MP says she has worked hard to bring some level of development to the area including improved health and education facilities, internet connectivity through her lobby and positive relationship with the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation Ursula Owusu.

She identified education, health, water provision, electricity supply as critical areas needing urgent improvement and hoped that with the support of all, much can be achieved.

Through the efforts of the MP, Helping Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation is on the verge of putting up a five-hundred-seater ICT laboratory with fifty laptops including Asanka devices with inbuilt reading systems for pupils and Junior High School students.

Hon Lydia Akanvariba assured of her eagerness to win the seat for the party and lobby the next NDC government and relevant agencies to attract the needed development for her people.

“I will retain the seat for the NDC and we will win the election to form the government,” she stated.

The MP who described herself as a development agent said she is contributing her quota to bridging the poverty gap within her constituency.

The lawmaker who is a member of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Communications Committees of Parliament says she enjoys the frank, honest, non-partisan and nationalistic discussions at the committee levels.

She is a member of the International Panel of Parliamentarians on Freedom of Belief.

She noted that her few years in parliament had equipped her politically and gained the experience to be able to work in fulfillment of her campaign promises in the 2020 election.

Hon Lydia Akanvariba won the 2020 election with 20,939 votes representing 55.99 percent to beat Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, the then-incumbent MP and Deputy Attorney General who managed to obtain 16,462 representing 44.01 percent.

In 2019, she defeated two aspirants at the party primaries to replace her late husband, David Adakudugu as the then NDC parliamentary candidate.

She polled 402 votes to beat Cletus Azaabi, a lecturer at the Saint John Bosco College of Education, Navrongo and Dr. Samuel George Anarwat, a lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS) City Campus, Tamale.

The current Tempane lawmaker who has a positive relationship with her constituents said their needs remain her utmost priority and assured to contribute her quota to bring development to her people.