NDC supporters shun Bede Ziedeng for Abu in Lawra constituency

Some supporters of the National Democratic Congress in the Lawra constituency of the Upper West Region have vowed to vote for the Member of Parliament in the area, Samson Abu, who is contesting the December 7 general elections as an independent candidate.

Mr Abu who is a member of the NDC, resolved to contests this year’s parliamentary election as an independent candidate after he lost the party’s primary in the constituency.

He accused Bede Ziedeng who was at the time of the primary, the elections director of the party in the area, of disenfranchising a lot of party members from voting. The National executives, he said, also failed to act on a petition he presented causing him to go independent.

Some 22 members of the party were sacked also two weeks ago from the NDC for allegedly operating against the party’s mandate.

This angered some of the party supporters who vowed to go all out to support Mr Abu’s independent candidacy and vote for him in the parliamentary election but said they will vote for President John Mahama for the presidency.

The supporters consequently gave meaning to their vow at the weekend when they converged for the campaign launch of Mr Abu who they said represents the voice of the people as against Bede Ziedeng who is contesting the seat on the ticket of the NDC.

Mr Abu prior to the campaign launch, told journalists he would continue to campaign for President Mahama even though he has been sacked from the party, indicating he would return to the party in the next few years.

He said he does not intend to betray his supporters who encouraged and urged him to go independent and contest in the election, saying “Even though I have been sacked from the party, I don’t want to betray our supporters who what me to stand as independent, but I will return to the party in the next few years.

“I will continue to campaign for President Mahama to continue the good work he is doing for the people of Lawra and Ghana as a whole,” he added.

Addressing supporters at his campaign launch later, Mr Abu pledged to continue to invest in children education and also build a new ward at the Lawra Hospital do away with the situation where both men and women share one ward.

“I feel embarrassed when I see males and females attending to treatment in the same ward at the Lawra Hospital general ward so when retained in power, I will build a separate Ward with my Common Fund for the hospital."