Disqualified Aspirant Goes Independent

The embattled National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary aspirant for the Mion constituency, Ibrahim Tanko has announced plans to go independent following his disqualification by the party�s Vetting Committee. Mr. Tanko and three other candidates were disqualified from contesting the party�s primaries next Saturday. But the aspirant, whose disqualification is generating uproar in the Mion constituency, has denied any wrongdoing. In view of this, he has heeded calls by majority of youth of the area to become an independent candidate to snatch the Mion seat from the current Member of Parliament (MP), who is said to be performing abysmally. Mr. Tanko, who downplayed suggestions of being expelled completely from the NDC if he goes independent, told journalists he was acceding to the requests of the masses in the constituency. According to him, he would not back down since the vetting committee failed to provide him with the opportunity to correct some discrepancies in his documents. He maintained that he had genuine documents and wondered why the vetting committee disqualified him despite attempts to redeem the image of the constituency. His supporters, led by Issah Abdul Samed, have accused the incumbent MP, Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan of influencing the vetting panel to disqualify Tanko, threatening to deal with him accordingly. Ibrahim Tanko, who anticipated his disqualification, earlier threatened to go independent, claiming he was unfairly treated by the committee. It would be recalled that Iddrisu Ibrahim for Yapei-Kusawgu and Jabon Thomas Lomnan in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo constituencies were disqualified. According to officials of the vetting committee, Prince Ibrahim Tanko had conflicting reports on his Curriculum Vitae (CV) coupled with other discrepancies. The vetting committee noted that it could not authenticate the claim that the aspirant had a Master�s degree as contained in his CV. In the case of Iddrisu Ibrahim, he failed to meet the requirements of the vetting processes. He was said to have secured the mandate of 104 officials from some selected polling stations instead of the 119, hence his disqualification. Jabon Thomas Lomnan on the other hand was disqualified because he went independent in 2008 and therefore could not be allowed to contest on the party�s ticket. According to the party�s constitution, he was expected to officially write to the party�s hierarchy at the constituency to inform them about his intention to rejoin the party. Beleaguered Prince Ibrahim Tanko accused members of the vetting committee of the NDC of being biased, stating that he is an Andani prince. According to him, they were bent on disqualifying him because of their alliance with the Abudu Family. Reacting to reports of his purported disqualification, Prince Ibrahim, further claimed that members of the vetting committee want to victimize him because of his alliance with the former President Jerry John Rawlings. He told Daily Guide that the former president was among referees he presented to the vetting panel in the documents. Meanwhile all is set for Saturday�s primaries in all the constituencies in the region, according to regional hierarchy of the party. Candidates, Daily Guide gathered, at the beginning of this week were busily putting finishing touches to their campaign ahead of Saturday�s polls, which promises to be one of the keenly contested in the region. About 72 potential aspirants are competing for the positions in the various constituencies except Tamale South, Chereponi, Saboba andYagaba-Kubori constituencies. MPs in the four constituencies would be acclaimed on Saturday because there were no contenders.