297 NDC aspirants vie for 114 parliamentary slots

TWO hundred and ninety-seven members of the National Democratic Congress have applied to vie for 114 parliamentary slots in country.

These are the seats that the party did not win in 2008. It will on yet-to-be-announced date open nominations for constituencies with sitting NDC Members of Parliament (MPs).

Currently, the NDC has 116 seats in the 230-member Parliament. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has 107, People’s National Convention (PNC) has two, Convention People’s Party (CPP) has only one and four members are independent.

On the regional basis, Ashanti Region recorded 80 applicants, which represents the highest number of applicants, followed by Eastern, 48; Brong Ahafo, 37; Greater Accra, 37; Western, 27; Northern, 16; Upper East, 15; Upper West,13 and Volta, 2.

Notable names on the lists of applicants include the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who would be contesting for the Tema West slot with Ms Gladys Boateng, George Medie, James Enu and Richard Fiadomor. A former Minister of Tourism, Mrs Zita Sarbah Okaikoi, would be competing for the Dome-Kwabenya slot of the party with three other female aspirants.

The Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng Agyei, would be going unopposed at the Bosomtwe slot. A leading member of the erswhile Armed Forces Revolutionary council (AFRC) Osahen Boakye Djan, would battle it out with Mr Matthew Gyasi for the position as the NDC parliamentary aspirant for the Jaman South constituency.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, K. Nyamekye-Marfo, would be contesting for the Sunyani West slot with two others, while a Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, will have to compete with Mrs Bernice Azumah and Enoch Amoako-Nsiah for the Tano South position.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, will battle it out with two other persons for selection as the one who would represent the party in the Navrongo Central constituency. A Deputy Minister of Education, Mahama Ayariga, and the National Coordinator for the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), Abuga Pele, would vie for the BawkuCentral and Chiana-Paga constituency slots of the party, respectively.

In the Central Region, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, is also vying for the Agona East slot with four others. A Deputy Minister of Information, Mohamed Baba Ahmed Jamal, who represented the party in the Akwatia constituency in 2008, would contest the primaries again with Nana Kwaku Effisah.

The Head of News of eTV, Mr Gideon Ayeequaye, will also be vying for the Weija slot. The Minister for the Interior, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, and Madam Alice Teni Boon, both former Members of Parliament for Lawra-Nanadom and Lambussie, respectively, would make a second attempt to represent the party at both constituencies.

Briefing the Daily Graphic, a Deputy General Secretary of the NDC in-charge of the primaries, Mr George Lawson, commended the various constituencies for the smooth and incident free manner in which they organised the opening and closing of the nominations.

He urged the various constituency and regional executives to ensure that they complete the vetting for the national to undertake its vetting to pave the way for the primaries to elect aspirants for the respective constituencies.