NPP elects two Parliamentary candidates in Upper West

WA, Aug 15, GNA- The Wa Central and Nadowli West Constituencies of the New Patriotic Party in the Upper West Region on Tuesday elected their Parliamentary Candidates for next year's general elections. The elections took place during delegates conferences held at Wa and Sombo in the Nadowli district respectively.

Mr Clement Eledi, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture polled 81 votes as against 37, by Mr Abdulai Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Director of the Non-Formal Education Division to emerge as the candidate for Wa Central in a field of three contestants.

In the Nadowli West primaries, Wing Commander (rtd) Eric Dakurah, Nadowli District Chief Executive beat Dr Daniel Bagah, Dean of the Wa Campus of the University of Development Studies by 51 votes to 41 to emerge as the candidate.

The two Primaries, which were supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission, were witnessed by a high-powered delegation from the National Secretariat of the Party led by the National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac Manu.

It also included, Nana Ohene Ntow, the General Secretary, Mr Lord Commey, National Organizer and Miss Rita Asobayire, the National Women's Organizer. Addressing the delegates at the two conferences, Mr Mac Manu said all delegates to the Party' conferences should know that they had a bigger duty to perform than merely electing candidates for the next elections.

He said for the Party to retain power, they should be prepared to tour all the "nooks and crannies" in their constituencies to sell the candidates and also be vigilant in their protection of the ballot boxes on polling day.

According to him, the NPP would never impose candidate on any constituency because the Party believed in internal and multi-party democracy, saying only the NDC had a history of imposing candidates on the people.

Nana Ohene Ntow said, the Parliamentary primaries were the most important step towards winning next year's elections and urged all constituencies to conduct the exercise without any acrimony. Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister, suggested that all the loosing candidates at the Parliamentary primaries should be included in the campaign teams of the winners in order to forge unity within the ranks of the party.

Two loosing candidates, Mr Bin Salih at Wa Central and Dr Bagah at Nadowli West said as far as they were concerned, the Party was the winner and they would therefore support the winning candidates to wrestle the respective seats from the NDC.