Five Sitting MPs Fall In Accra NDC Primaries

Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, outgoing Housing Minister - Elected by popular acclamation

Five sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra Region have lost their bids to contest the 2012 parliamentary election on the party’s ticket.

This followed the party's primaries held in the region Saturday.

They are outgoing Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports and MP for Ledzekuku, Mr Reuben Nii Nortey Duah; a former Minister of Education and MP for Ada, Mr Alexander Tettey-Enyo; the MP for Sege, Mr Alfred W. Ogbodzor Abayateye; the MP for Odododiodoo, Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie Komme, and the MP for Adenta, Mr Kojo Adu-Asare.

A Minister of State at the Presidency and MP for Kpone Katamanso, Nii Laryea Ofotey Agbo and MP for Obom Demeabra, Mr Daoud Anum Yemoh were elected unopposed.

The remaining 11 MPs in the region were able to beat their competitors to secure the nod by delegates to seek re-election.

Two women were part of those who caused the defeat of sitting MPs. They are the 1997 Miss Ghana, Mrs Benita Sena Okity-Duah (Miss Benita Golomeke), who beat Mr Nortey Duah of Ledzokuku and Madam Comfort Doyeo Cudjoe Ghansah also showed Mr Tettey-Enyo the exit.

Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, outgoing Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing who has been re-assigned to the Health Ministry and MP for Nadowli West in the Upper West Region, whose primary was postponed from January 22, 2012 to last Saturday, was re-elected by popular acclamation while Mr Gabriel Essilfie, the incumbent MP for Shama in the Western Region was also elected unopposed.

In the Greater Accra Region, the primaries were generally peaceful.

At Ablekuma South, Mr Fritz Baffuor, the sitting MP and Minister of Information designate was re-elected with a difference of 11. He had 241 votes, while his closest contender, Wisdom Nii AMoo polled 230 votes. The third contender, Mr Othniel Otokonor Kwainoe secured 78 of the votes cast.

At the Ododiodoo Constituency, which was described as a political hotbed, Mr Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuije secured an overwhelming 389 votes, representing 83.1 percent to beat the incumbent MP, Mr Komme who had 71 votes, representing 15.2 percent. Mr Walid Anyertei Laryea secured just eight votes, representing 1.7 percent.

Conceding defeat, Mr Komme commended the people of the constituency for making him to set record by being the first MP in the area to have served two terms as an MP.and pledged to support the aspirant to ensure that the NDC retained the seat.

Responding, Mr Vanderpuije said Mr Komme would be part of his campaign because he had a rich experience as a two-time MP, former youth organiser of the constituency and a former assembly member.

Stir
As voting was going on at Odododiodoo, Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the man at the centre of the controversial judgement debt saga, arrived at the venue and as word went round about his presence, almost all the reporters, cameramen and others around, went into action, clicking their cameras.

They moved to the dais where Mr Woyome was exchanging pleasantries with leading members of the party and the aspirants and for well over 10 minutes, he was the attraction.

At Klottey Korle, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey secured the mandate of the delegates with 277 votes to seek re-election on the ticket of the NDC. His contenders, Mr Leeford Kpakpo Quarshie, had 27, Mr Wakefield Wisdom Ackuoku had 24 with Mr Frank Edmund Awuku securing 54 votes.

At Sege, Mr Abayateye had only 29 votes, which terminated his bid of contesting the seat to represent the people of Sege in Parliament. He was beaten by Mr Christian Otuteye Corlettey who polled 64 votes.

At Adentan, the defeat of the incumbent MP, Mr Kwadwo Adu Asare, who secured only 17 votes was expected as he earlier on announced his intention not to seek re-election before making a comeback. He was beaten by one of his constituency executives, Mr Emmanuel Nii Ashien Moore who had 70 votes to win.

In the Medina/Abokobi Constituency, the incumbent, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, secured the mandate of the delegates when be beat the stiff challenge of two others, Rukaya Abubakati Alhassan and William Torgbey.

In the Ayawaso East Constituency, the incumbent Member of Parliament who is also the outgoing Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, secured 263 votes out of the 469 votes cast, to win another bid to contest the seat in parliament.

He contested against Nazar Mahama Toure, Ahmed Mohammed Gedel, and Haruna Rashid Ibrahim who had 185, 30 and 18 votes respectively.

At La Dadekotopon, the incumbent MP, Nii Amasa Namoale won the primary.

The MP, who is also the Deputy Minister in-charge of Fisheries at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, polled 328 votes out of the 527 votes cast, with his closest challenger, Rev Kelvin Tetteh Caternor securing 114 votes.

The other three aspirants, Dr Benjamen Odoi Yemoh, Samuel Sowah Oblejumah and Nii Armah Ashietey obtained three, 27 and eight votes respectively. Ten delegates were not present to cast their votes.

Even before the election result was announced, the other four aspirant s had left the venue, leaving only the incumbent MP whose supporters carried him shoulder high.

At the Krowor Constituency, Nii Oakley Quaye Kumah, the incumbent MP, emerged as winner with 152 votes while Naa Momo, his closest opponent followed with 120 votes, Goerge Mensah, seven votes and William Ofori, three votes.

In the Ashaiman Constituency, delegates gave the sitting MP, Alfred Agbesi another chance to contest the seat in the 20I2 parliamentary election, when he polled I00 votes to beat four other contestants.

The other candidates, Ibrahim Baidoo, had 63 votes, Tony Afenyo, 51 votes, Abass Osabutey, 21 votes, while Alhaji Sulemana had no vote during the exercise whoich was held in a calm atmosphere at the Ashaiman Senior High School .

At the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency, the incumbent, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, was by popular acclamation retained to contest the parliamentary seat for the party and in Ablekuma Central, the incumbent MP, Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, was re-elected by delegates to also represent the party in the upcoming election.

His closest contender was Alhaji Haruna who came second with 165 votes. While Farouk Wayonka had three votes, Bashar A. Harsey polled nine votes and Godslove Quartey, no vote.