IT WAS A CLEAN SWEEP FOR NDC IN UE DESPITE FALL LEADING PARLIAMENTARIANS

Article: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Just as predicted, the National Democratic Congress, made a clean sweep at the Presidential level at the just ended general election. Candidate John Dramani Mahama won in all the 15 constituencies while the other seven presidential aspirants trailed. The outcome did not come as a surprise to election watchers because since 1992, that has been the trend since 1992. The surprise or otherwise depending on where one stood was in the race for the parliamentary seats. The NPP came into the race with four seat firmly tuck under their armpits, namely Navrongo Central, Binduri, Bawku Central and Chiana-Paga constituencies, out of the then 13 Constituencies, but in the end , they lost all the four seats to the NDC. The NDC on the other hand boosted it performance by increasing the seats it controlled from eight in 2008 to 12 seats, namely Bolgatanga Central, Bolgatanga East, Builsa North, Pusiga, Garu, Tempane Binduri, Navrongo Central, Zebilla, Chiana-Paga, Bawku Central and Bongo district. The Peoples National Convention, (PNC) managed to cling unto its only seat in the Builsa South constituency. Perhaps the major upset, (although many people in the region had predicted it days before the election) was the fall of what is known on political circles “the two mugabes”- (on account of their long stay as MP) The Longest serving Parliamentarian in the Upper East region, representing the Talensi Constituency, John Akolgo Tia, was kicked off the seat, while his friend next door, Mr. Moses Asaga, who had done 16 years in parliament also lost his seat, both to the NPP candidates. Mr. Tia Akolgo has since 1992 been the representative of the people of Talensi. He was seeking his sixth term in parliament but his constituents felt otherwise. So while they would vote massively for the NDC Presidential Candidate, Mr. John Mahama, they thought both Messrs Tia Akolgu and Asaga have overstayed his welcome and needed to be booted out for fresh faces to come in.. In Talensi, President Mahama polled 17, 110 votes as opposed to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the MPP had 7, 120 but at the parliamentary level, the reverse was the case, the NPP candidate, Mr. Robert Doameng Mosoore garnered 11, 380 while the former Information Minister had 9,119. In the Nabdam constituency, “the skirt and blouse” system was also evoked. In the presidential polls, NDC’s John Mahama had 7, 533 votes while NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had 4, 719 but in the parliamentary votes, the reverse was the case, NDC’s Moses Asaga secured 6,545 votes while NPP’s Boniface Gambilla, who had contested from 2000 got 7,097. Going into this elections, the electorates in these two constituencies have dropped signals that they did not want these MPs to stay in office any longer. Some of the electorates, through various platforms including social media launched a vigorous campaign to have these two “mugabes” booted out but those leading the campaign for the sitting MPs came to their defense. In the case of Mr. John Tia Akolgu, a group in the constituency calling itself NDC Youth in the month of February, 2012 held a press conference during which they vowed to vote for the NPP Parliamentary Candidate instead Mr JohnTia Akolgo but would vote for NDC candidate for the presidential poll. The Campaign team for Mr. Akologo , in a counter- press statement issued at a Press Conference and signed by Alhaji Seidu Musah, Manager of Mr Tia’s Campaign Team, debunked the accusation levelled against the MP. His argument was that Mr. Tia Akolgo, since his assumption of office as MP, had brought about unprecedented development projects to the constituency and that explained why he was continuously being endorsed by the constituency as MP for the area. The long and short of it is that, after the back and forth, the electorates threaten to speak with their thumps and have succeeded in decided who should represent them in parliament come January 2013. Another major surprise was the defeat for Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda. The incumbent Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central and former Minister of Energy during in the erstwhile NPP government, Joseph Kofi Adda, also lost the seat to the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Owen Woyongo in what pundits nicknamed a re-match between the two. In 2008, Mr. Woyongo lost the contest to Mr. Adda, in that race Messrs Woyongo and Adda together with PNCs Gabriel Pwamang and CPPs, Fotunate Anuga were entangled in the race for the seat, at the close that polls Mr. Kofi Adda polled 14, 354 representing 45.23 percent of votes cast as against, Mr. Woyongo’s 13, 224 represent 41. 67 per cent., . Come December 7 and 8, 2012, the two gentlemen were in the race again. This time, the PNC had thrown their weight behind the NDC candidate and did not field a candidate. On account that the PNC candidate, Mr. Gabriel Pwamang polled 4,026 votes in the 2008 elections, it came as no surprise when after the final results was declared, Mr. Woyongo had 10, 260 while NP’s Joseph Kofi Adda 9,703 votes. The NPP has since the year 2000 had a grip on the Navrongo constituency. In the 2000 elections, the late John Setuni Achuliwor contested on the NPP’s ticket and defeated the NDCs Clement T. Bugase by 143 votes. Achuliwor polled 11,246 while Bugase had 11,103 votes. The rest was shared between five other candidates who contested in that race. Following the death of John Setuni Achuliwor in 2003, Mr. Adda a MP. He won the by-election for the Navrongo Central constituency. In the 2004 elections, Adda retained his seat after he defeated NDCs Emmanuel Andema, the current Municipal Chief Executive for the Kassena-Nankana East. In that polls, Adda polled 12, 444 votes while Mr. Andema came a distant third with 6,201. While pundits believe Mr. Adda was complacent leading to his defeat, other held the view that Mr. Woyongo on account of his hard work as Regional Minsiter which has seen the region as a whole and the Kassena-Nankana East Municipality benefit from a number of development project coupled with the support of the PNC gave him a huge advantage over his contender. Another NPP incumbent, Mr. Stephen Yakubu, MP for Binduri Constituency, lost his seat to a Senior High School Tutor, Ben Noah Azure, to the surprise of many who had tipped Stephen Yakubu as the best choice for the area. Sitting Member of Parliament for the China-Paga, Leo Kaba, lost to former Deputy Minister of Sports and the current Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), Mr. Abuga Pele. In the Builsa South Constituency, incumbent MP and the only PNC parliamentary candidate in the next parliament, Mr. Alhassan Azong retained his seat likewise, Mr. Dominic Azimbe Azumah (Garu), Majority Leader Cletus Avoka (Zebilla), Albert Abongo (Bongo) and Emmanuel Opam Brown Akolbire,(Bolgatanga central). Four of the victors from the region will be making first time appearances in the house of legislature, namely, James Agalga (Builsa North), David Adakurugu(Tempane), Dominic Ayine(Bolgatanga East) and Hajia Laadi Ayamba (Pusiga). Current deputy minister of education, Mahama Ayariga is making a return to the chamber after he won the Bawku Central seat. Having won 12 out of the 15 seats in the region, NDC has once again entrenched itself as the party to beat. The other political parties although have made inroads by increasing their votes must redoubled their efforts if they are to snatch the region the grips of the NDC. -END- writer's email:benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh