More people join NPP race in Upper East

Bolgatanga, July 28, GNA - Twenty-one people have filed their nominations to contest seven parliamentary seats out of the 12 constituencies in the Upper East Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Five people are contesting the Builsa North Seat, Builsa South has two, including Mr Basko Kante, a Deputy Minister for Fuel and Power in the Limann government, while the District Chief Executive for Bawku West, Mr. Moses Appiah, is the sole contestant for the Zebilla constituency primaries.

The Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr. Godfred Kuyiba, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga on Monday and said other constituencies are Paga-Chiana, four, Nabdam three, with the Director of the National Service Scheme, Mr Boniface Gambila, Professor Charles Y. Yendork, a lecturer in the United States and Mr Peter Kparib, a forester vying the primaries.

He said Mr James Ayamba Anaba, a retired agriculturist, Mr Elias Bukari Ayeebo, an agriculturist, and Mr Sabastian Bukari, a Technician, are the candidates contesting the primaries for the Binduri constituency.

He added that the Deputy Minister for Information, Mr. Andrews Awuni, is the only candidate vying for the Bongo seat.

He said the party has decided to postpone vying in the other five constituencies where there are NPP sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), Independent MPs or Peoples National Convention (PNC) MPs who have diversely supported the course of the NPP.

Mr. Kuyiba said one other person, who showed interest, Mr Nicholas Nayimbil, an educationist, and had for three consecutive terms contested the Nabdam seat on the ticket of the PNC had to change his intention, because he could not meet some of the constitutional requirements of the party.

In the previous elections the party allowed interested candidates to vie without conducting primaries, because it was not too popular with the people.

Mr Kuyiba said the party would continue to live by its democratic policies and would not impose any candidate on the people, adding that "the party's ideals would be defeated if it attempts to impose candidates on the constituents."

The Regional Secretary attributed the desire of the people to contest on the ticket of the party to the trust they have in the policies and programmes of the NPP.