A total of 57 to battle for 18 constituencies in Northern Region

A total of 57 parliamentary candidates are set to contest this year’s elections in the Northern Region to represent the 18 constituencies in the eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

Out of the 57 candidates, four of them are running independent, while the rest are contesting on the tickets of nine political parties; New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), All People’s Congress (ACP), Convention People’s Party (CPP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), People’s National Convention (PNC) and National Democratic Party (NDP).

Ms. Felicia Tettey, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Sagnarigu Constituency is the only female candidate in the region, and she is challenging the incumbent, Alhaji Alhassan Bashiru Alhassan Fuseini, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

They are the only two candidates contesting the elections at the Sagnarigu Constituency.

The four independent candidates are contesting the elections at the Mion, Saboba, Saboba, and Kumbungu Constituencies.

They are Elijah Naliku Waja, Samuel Nakoa Kwojan, Alhassan Iddrisu, and Abdul-Fatawu Abukari for the Mion, Saboba Savelugu, and Kumbungu Constituencies.

The rest who are all males filed to contest on the ticket of the nine registered political parties in the region.

The political parties that have no Parliamentary Candidates for the December 7, 2020, general election in the Northern Region are Ghana are Freedom Party (GFP) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).

The 18 constituencies in the Northern region are Tamale Central, Tamale South, Tamale North, Sagnarigu, Tolon, Savelugu, Mion, Bimbilla Wulensi, Zabzugu, Tatale-Sanguli, Yendi, Mion, Gushegu, Nanton, Saboba, Kpandai, and Kumbungu.

Five persons - John Ekusu Ambasagna, Alhassan Somed Dasana, Jalilu Abdul Kassim, Muazu Abdallah, and Basiru Alhassan Nabila - filed to contest on the ticket of the CPP in the Kpandai, Bimbilla, Tamale South, Tamale North, and Kumbungu constituencies respectively.

The PNC also fielded four candidates in the Mion, Savelugu, Tamale Central, and Tamale South Constituencies. They are Sayibu Abdul-Rauf, Haruna Zakaria, Mubarik Abdul-Karim, and Sualisu Nabila Imoro.

Two persons - Eric Nipani and Baba Charles Sumani - are contesting on the ticket of the APC for the Kpandai and Tolon Constituencies respectively, while Daniel Ndagbalan Gmabi and Moses Mukambe Nyilkajer are also contesting on the ticket of GUM in the Bimbilla and Wulensi Constituencies respectively.

Mr. Zakaria Sulemana and Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Nasir are contesting the elections at the Bimbilla and Tamale North Constituencies on the ticket of the PPP while Mr. Zakaria Mohammed is contesting the Wulensi Constituency on the ticket of LPG and Abdulai Abdul-Razak seeks to secure the Gushegu Constituency on the ticket of NDP.

A brief history of parliamentary seats for the Northern Region puts the NDC as heading the region with parliamentary seats. The party in 1992 secured all 23 seats. In that year the NPP and the other minority parties boycotted the parliamentary elections.

In 1996, the PNC secured one seat from the Bimbilla Constituency, NDC had 18, NPP had three seats, and the PCP one seat from the Mion Constituency.

In the 2000 parliamentary election, the NPP maintained the three seats, an Independent candidate (Boniface Abubakar Saddique) surfaced to capture the Salaga Parliamentary seat, the PNC got the then West Mamprusi Constituency, while the NDC also maintained it's 18 seats.

In the 2004 elections, the NDC lost one seat to secure 17, while NPP improved on its bid and secured five seats. In that year, Joseph Yaani Labik secured the Bunkurugu-Yunyoo seat as an independent candidate.

In 2008 the NDC increased its bid to 21 seats, while the NPP lost four seats. An Independent candidate, Alhaji Saani Iddi won the Wulensi constituency seat that year.

In 2012 the NDC lost two seats making a total of 19 available to it. The NPP at the time increased their bid to an overwhelming 11 seats, while Alhassan Dahamani secured the Tamale North Constituency as an Independent candidate.

The 2016 election saw NDC lose another seat to secure 18, while NPP increased their votes from 11 to 13 seats, a situation that experts predict the party could increase its fortunes upward during the 2020 election.