Three pick nomination forms for Wulensi by-election

Two political parties and an independent candidate have so far picked nomination forms to contest the Wulensi by-elections slated for July 31.

Officials of the EC in the Northern Region gave the names of the parties as The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) as the only parties that picked the nomination forms to contest the elections, while one Mr. Mohammed Adam, an independent candidate has also picked the form as at June 26, when the GNA contacted the Electoral Commission.

Mr. Kwabena Daliri, Nanumba South District officer of the EC, told the GNA on Tuesday that the two leading political parties, the NDC and the NPP appeared unconcerned.

He said the constituency was calm and that the tense political atmosphere that always characterized by-elections is currently absent but was quick to add that it was early to draw conclusions.

Mr. Daliri said nominations would be closing between July 3 and July 4 and that there was still more time for the parties to pick nomination forms.

Alhaji Alhassan Yussif Umar, Northern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the NDC was not in a haste to pick nomination forms but what was important to device means of winning the seat.

He said “picking the form is a one day exercise and since we have our candidate already we are not worried” adding that “when we are moving in, we are moving there with a victory mood.

He said, Mr. Naaliri George Maaban had been the NDC candidate during the 2004 and the 2008 elections and he always lost marginally, but expressed the hope that this was the time the electorate would vote for him.

Alhaji Umar said the “massive infrastructure development” that the government had undertaken in the constituency was enough for the people to vote for the NDC as a “Thank you gesture”.

Dr. Clifford Braimah, Northern Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) indicated that the party would surely contest and win the seat due to the abysmal performance of the government in the area.

He said the NPP created the Nanumba South District and had developed infrastructure there, which would make the people to vote for the party’s candidate.

He said the NPP Presidential Candidate Nana Akuffo Addo and some executives had already mourned with the bereaved family who were still in the funeral mood, hence the party’s decision to wait awhile before filing.

He claimed that the NDC was now embarking on “Cosmetic development” for votes, which according to him would not translate into votes.

The Wulensi seat became vacant following the death of Alhaji Saani Iddi, an Independent MP, which sad event occurred on June 4, 2012 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. **