Two former MPs re-elected to contest in their constituencies

Tamale, Nov.21, GNA - Two former Members of Parliament in the Northern Region under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime have been re-elected to stand for their constituencies in the 2012 parliamentary election.

Mr Mohammed Ibn Abass, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Nanumba North and a former MP for the Bimbilla constituency was on Saturday re-elected to stand for the Constituency at the NDC primary held for ‘orphan’ constituencies.

He polled 193 votes to beat his closest contestant, Mohammed Atta Nantogmah, a legal practitioner, who had 138 votes.

In the Zabzugu/Tatale Constituency, Mr Jagri B. Mohammed, who is also a former MP for the area, was re-elected when he had 255 votes as against the 174 votes of his challenger, Thomas Bintrim.

In the Nanton Constituency, Mr Murtala Mohammed, Deputy National Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme, (NYEP) won with 79 votes as against his closest contender, Mohammed Sherrif, a former DCE for the Savelugu/Nanton District, who got 73 votes.

Mr Murtala Mohammed thanked the delegates for the confidence they had reposed in him and promised to work hard to wrestle the seat from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Chief Sofo Azorka, the Acting Regional Chairman of the NDC, who witnessed the Nanton primary, commended the delegates for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner.

He urged them to close their ranks, unite and rally behind the candidate to ensure that he won the seat, saying that the NDC was bigger than any individual and so members had an obligation to support anyone who was elected to represent them.

The orphan constituencies are those that the party did not win in the 2008 election.