Bawku NPP gears up for Emergency Primaries

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bawku In the wake of the two year jail sentence imposed on the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mr. Adamu Daramani Sakande, who is also the parliamentary candidate for the party in the pending national elections in December, 2012, some names have begun emerging in constituency as possible replacement with few days left for the filing of nominations at the Electoral Commission. So far, eight names have emerged as possible replacement for the candidate, according to sources within the party. The party is expected to hold primaries on August 25, 2012 and even before nominations open on August 15, 2012, some names are making rounds in the area as possible replacement candidate. Mr. Sakande was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for falsely holding himself as a Ghanaian in order to be elected MP. The MP who was found guilty and convicted on three counts of false declaration of office or voting, perjury and deceiving a public officer is currently serving his sentence while his legal team has hinted of filing an appeal. According to party sources, names such as Messrs Abubakari Jibril Ustaz, who in 2004 filed to contest the seat as an Independent Candidate, Mr Mohammed Tahiru Nambe, who contested the primaries with the incarcerated MP in 2007 and lost, Amadu Hamza, the Constituency Secretary and Alhaji Alhassan Haruna, of Metro TV fame have all come up strongly to filing their nomination. Some party supporters in the constituency are also rooting for other candidates such as Madam Hawa Narichima the Regional Women’s Organiser, Osman Masahudu, Isaac Awuni and Baba Siedu. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr. Uztarz Saeed Abass the Deputy Constituency Secretary, said following consultation with stakeholders in the party at the National and Regional level, as well as opinion leaders in the party at the constituency level, it has been decided that the party hold primaries to select a suitable candidate for the election. He said nomination will open on August 15, 2012 and close on August 20, 2012 after which the party will go to the polls on August 25, 2012 to elect a candidate. “We had initially wanted to elect a candidate by consensus, but after a meeting with all those who have expressed interest, none was willing to concede so we have opted to hold primaries in order to choose a candidate. We only have this short period of time to do this and get our campaign back on track”. He said. Mr. Uztarz Saeed Abass conceded that the unfortunate incarceration of the current MP has affected the campaign strategy of the party in the constituency but was optimistic that come August 25, 2012 after the primaries have been held, the party will get it machinery in place towards retaining the parliamentary seat. -End- August 14, 2012