Amewu retained as NPP candidate for Hohoe-North

Hohoe, Sept 5, GNA- The Hohoe-North Constituency election of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which was characterized by intermittent hold-ups has retained Mr John Peter Amewu as its Parliamentary candidate for the 2008 general elections.

The hold ups stemmed from the eligibility of some delegates at the Constituency congress, which was contested vehemently by Mr Reginald Apaloo-Kota, a former Constituency Organizer.

The diligence of the security and explanations from party stalwarts calmed nerves to enable the elections to go on.

Mr Amewu was declared winner after polling 85 votes constituting 76.5 percent of total votes cast to beat his only challenger Mr Marlon Praises Anipah, domiciled in the United Kingdom who had 26 votes. Mr Anipah however left the venue of the congress moments before the declaration of the results and all attempts to reach him for his comments proved futile.

In an acceptance speech, Mr Amewu thanked the delegates for the trust reposed in him and urged them to close their ranks to facilitate actions towards giving their opponents a run for the seat. He said the real task was the 2008 elections, which must be won at all cost stating that "nobody looks at a rain bearing cloud and empties his water reservoir".

Brigadier-General Joseph Odei, (retd) former National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), who deputized for Mr Laud Commey, National Organizer of the NPP urged party stalwarts to assist in the consolidation of power in the 2008 election, to facilitate the continuation of development programmes and policies being undertaken.

He believed the party could perform better this time round in the Hohoe-North Constituency after woefully recording 12 and four percent respectively in the 2004 and 2000 general elections. Brigadier-Gen Odei exhorted supporters not to be demoralized by the verdict and that no individual was a winner in such an exercise but rather democracy and the rule of law.

Mr Amewu, a quantity surveyor and the Hohoe District Chief Executive contested on the NPP's ticket in the 2004 elections but lost to Mr Prince Jacob Hayibor of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The Hohoe District Office of the Electoral Commission conducted and supervised the election.