All is set for the National Democratic Congress to hold its primaries to elect 116 parliamentary candidates for constituencies with NDC sitting Members of Parliament.
The primaries, which will take place simultaneously nationwide, is slated for Saturday, January, 21 to 24, 2012.
According to Mr George Lawson, Deputy General Secretary of the party, the primaries was intended to help the party elect its full complement of parliamentary candidates for the 2012 polls, however, there were few constituencies that were on hold to allow the Electoral Commission to create new constituencies.
The national executive of the party successfully completed the final vetting of all eligible aspirants on January 12 to 14 with no major hiccups .
Most of the regional branches of the party completed the vetting of all aspirants vying for parliamentary slots to become the party�s aspiring parliamentary candidates. Although the regional vetting formed part of the party�s constitutional demands, it was the national executive that gave the green light or disqualified any aspirant.
The contest is expected to be very competitive in the Volta Region, which is considered the World Bank of the NDC and other strong holds in the North and the Greater Accra Region.
Reports indicate that in some constituencies in the Volta Region, the race for Parliament on the ticket of the NDC is fierce and interesting.
Names such as the deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is eyeing the North Tongu seat,
Mr Fiifi Kwetey, the Ketu South, Mr Richard Quarshigah, Propaganda Secretary, Keta and Mr Chris Ackumey, member of the legal team of the party. In the Greater Accra Region, the race will be interesting in the Odododiodioo constituency where Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye, the Presidential Aide will slug it out with the incumbent MP, Nii Kommey.
At the Adenta Constituency, the incumbent MP, Mr Adu Asare, is having challenges with the constituency executive because he initially said he was not contesting but later rescinded his decision. In the Ablekuma South, Mr Fritz Baffour faces stiff competition from three other aspirants.
The two deputy Ministers of Food and Agriculture and Youth and Sports, Nii Amasa Namole and Nii Nortey Dua are being challenged by their women organisers and other members of the party.
There are a number of NDC sitting MPs who are also going unopposed. In the Northern Region, four aspiring MPs are to contest unopposed.
They are Alhaji Iddrisu Haruna, Tamale North, Bukari Nikpe, Saboba, Samuel Jabaniche, Chereponi and Ibrahim Abdul-Rauf Tanko, Yagba/Kubori constituency respectively.
The Minister for Health, Mr Yieleh Chireh is also contesting unopposed.
As the NDC gears up for the primaries, reports indicate that some incumbent MPs are doing everything possible to be re-elected by the delegates despite their non-performance credentials.
Come Saturday, when the party goes to the primaries, all indications point to the fact that some of the NDC sitting MPs will have it very difficult to retain their seats.
Some of the sitting MPs have been accused of abandoning their constituents just when they were elected into parliament only to surface few weeks ago with vain promises and begging for votes.
Indeed, a number of delegates in the various constituencies have also laced up their boots to show the non-performing MPs where real political power lies.
In a related development, Benjamin Xornam Glover, reports from Bolgatanga that candidates for the NDC, seeking elections to represent their constituents in parliament have been cautioned against attempts to hoard or camp delegates ahead of the primaries.
A statement issued by the Regional Chairman of the party, Alhaji Mumuni Bol-naba, said the act was at variance with the party�s guidelines and position on the conduct of campaigns, warning that any aspirant caught in such an act would be dealt with accordingly.
He said per the party�s guidelines, the audited delegates list had been issued out to all aspirants to enable them have access to all delegates in the course of their campaigns.
Hoarding or camping of delegates by one candidate would therefore amount to denying other aspirants or candidates access to such delegates.
He also advised delegates to desist from and reject any attempt by any aspirant to camp or hoard them stressing that it would not only deny them access to fair assessment of their choice but amount to an insult to their sense of judgement and responsibility.
The regional chairman entreated both aspirants and delegates to cooperate to ensure successful primaries throughout the region.
It would be recalled that the NDC opened nominations for the conduct of competitive democratic election in all the NDC holding constituencies for the selection of parliamentary candidates for the 2012 general election on November 24, 2011. Filing of nominations closed on Friday, December, 23, 2011 with the election of candidates to take place hopefully from the third week of January 2012.
According to the guidelines regulating the conduct of the election, all male aspirants paid a non-refundable deposit of GH�5000 while female aspirants paid GHc2,500 on submission of completed forms. The cost of nomination forms was GH�200.
The NDC has 116 parliamentarians. The breakdown is as follows: Northern -22; Volta -21; Greater Accra -18; Western -11; Central -11; Brong Ahafo - 9; Upper East - 8; Upper West -7; Eastern - 7; and Ashanti - 3.
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