NDC Primaries - Kintampo North MP faces tough competition from Accra-based philanthropist, others

The Member of Parliament for Kintampo North, Joseph Kwame Kumah, known widely as Hon. Jakala may have to have his belt well tightened for a fierce battle in the upcoming parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress, NDC as Mr. Fridaus Mubarak Yussif, an Accra-based business magnate cum Philanthropist has declared his intention to pick a form and file a nomination for the primaries slated for Saturday, May 13, 2023

Last year, there were rumours about Mr. Fridaus' intention to contest the Kintampo North constituency parliamentary seat on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress, NDC. But, in December 2022, when caught up in an interview with this writer at the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the paramount chief of the Mo traditional council, Nana Kwaku Dankwa III, the CEO of Fridaus Foundation resisted the temptation to make a mention of his bid.

However, on Saturday, January 28, 2023, in an interview with the media at a Road Safety Campaign event he organized in Kintampo, Mr. Fridaus Declared his intention and willingness to serve the people of Kintampo North and urged the youth to support him.

"I am ready to contest the seat. Kintampo needs a young Vibrant person that will get involved in the youth, education, health care, tourism, and sports and this is part of the main reasons why I want to contest the seat.

I want the youth to understand that this is the time for us to also get involved in decision-making and politics. We as youth deserve a lot but sometimes those we send to parliament are elderly persons who don't understand our needs and so the time has come for us to show the angle from which we also see things", he stated.

Already, it is public knowledge that Mr. Richard Kwadwo Kombat, one of the key candidates in the last primaries that saw Hon. Joseph Kwame Kumah emerges victorious to represent the NDC in the 2020 general elections and is also lacing up his boots for the upcoming contest. That is not all.

Another key "party child" and a well-known Kintampo -based businessman Mr. Kofi Baffoe whose greater percentage of his investments are believed to be in the education sector is also, with strong backing from some key party fanatics, getting ready to pick nominations for the primaries.

Hon. Joseph Kwame Kumah won the party's primaries on Saturday, 24th August 2019 after facing stiff competition from three other candidates. He polled 532 votes to beat his closest contender, Mr. Richard Kwadwo Kombat who also polled 486 votes. The rest in the contest; Mr. Abdul-Rahman Yakubu and Madam Victoria Lakshmi Hamah, a former deputy communications minister also polled 207 votes and 65 votes respectively.

The 2019 contest was without the former Member of the area, Honourable Kwasi Etu Bondi who was about a year and a quarter away from ending his first term in office voluntarily pulled out of the race to attend to other businesses.