Tamale NPP Hot

??Darling Boy? Concept Fails To Fly

Reports from Tamale speak of ?frustration in the camp of the ruling NPP in the selection of candidates to contest the city?s three parliamentary seats in election 2004.

Indication was that a group of party activists were planning on marching to regional party boss, Alhaji Salifu C.O.P and the Northern Region Minister, Mr. Debrah to register their strong protest about the waste of time in deciding on who should stand where.

The problem area seems to be the new constituency of Tamale South where the current Gulkpegu-Sabongida incumbent, the Hon. Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris is said to be ?eyeing?. This same constituency has also been picked by Abdual Samad Harruna Atta (Samed) who is reputed to have already made inroads there.

It is a tug of war, which reportedly has attracted the attention of the topmost echelons of the party in Accra. Their solution is to allow the people on the ground to decide for themselves ? in other words, no interference from Accra. And this is where the party leadership in the metropolis seems to be found wanting.

A primary would settle matters, but somehow, no one seems to have the stomach for that and no one also seems o have the courage to take the courage to take the initiative that would lead to a settlement without primary. And so as the electoral clock ticks inexorably to the August deadline and the NDC already has its candidates in place, the NPP is still vacillating. ?When we talk, they tell us to be patient, when we know the truth said a youth. The truth it seems is what the party leaders in the metropolis have to sooner than later confront.

Earlier, rumours had been circulated that someone may be a ?darling boy? of the president and should therefore be given pre-eminence in the contest, but the rumours were discredited because, said a party operative, ?all candidates are the president?s darling boys and girls.? With that rumour quashed, the playing field was leveled for the contestants to pit their strengths at a primary. And eve with this understanding that all the aspirants are the president?s darling boys and girls, there is still no action to resolve the Tamale South impasse. As the impasse continues, the NDC?s Harruna Iddrisu is having a field day openly campaigning in the constituency.