NPP primaries:10 Ministers axed - 10 Retain candidacy
Ten ministers and deputy ministers lost their bid to return to parliament on the ticket of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in last Saturday's internal primaries as 28 incumbents failed to secure victory for their seat.
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Key among them are the Minister of Public Enterprises and Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia in the Western Region, Joseph Cudjoe; Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and MP for Tano North in the Ahafo Region, Dr Freda Prempeh, and the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and MP for Walewale in the North East Region, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu.
Dome Kwabenya MP and former Minister of State in charge of Procurement, and later Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo, also appears bound to exit the legislature after losing in the constituency primary.
Mr Cudjoe lost his fourth term bid to an officer of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Secretary to the GRA Board, Isaac Yaw Nyarko Boamah, who is also a lawyer.
Dr Prempeh lost to Dr Gideon Boako, spokesperson for the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, while Hajia Zuweira Abudu lost to Dr Kabiru Mahama, also the Technical Advisor to the Vice-President.
The seven deputy ministers who were not re-elected are the two Deputy Ministers of Health, Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, MP for Weija-Gbawe in the Greater Accra Region, and Mahama Asei Seini, MP for Daboya/Mankarigu in the Savannah Region.
The others are a Deputy Minister of Education and MP for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, Gifty Twum-Ampofo; Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation and MP for Juaben in the Ashanti, Ama Pomaa Boateng; a Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and MP for Offinso North in the Ashanti Region, Collins Ntim; Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and MP for Lower Hemang Denkyira in the Central Region, Bright Wireko-Brobbey, and Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and MP for Trobu, Moses Anim.
Ms Mensah was defeated by Jerry Ahmed Shaibu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Coastal Development Authority, while Mr Seini lost to a former Deputy Minister of Savannah Region, Samuel Tika.
Mr Wireko-Brobbey was defeated by the CEO of Export and Import Bank, Ghana, Lawrence Agyinsam; while Ms Boateng and Mr Ntim lost their re-election bid to Frank Owusu Achiaw and Fred Kyei Asamoah respectively.
Other big losers
In Dome-Kwabenya, the CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Michael Oquaye Jr, defeated Ms Adwoa Safo on the third attempt, while the MP for Subin in the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi, who was said to be part of the NPP MPs that pushed for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, lost to Kofi Obiri Yeboah.
Others are Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua) who was defeated by Seth Osei-Akoto and Sheila Bartels (Ablekuma North) who also lost her bid to the Deputy Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie. John Benam (Zabzugu) lost to Fawaz Aliu, a Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency and John Osei Frimpong (Aberim) could not maintain his candidature as he also lost to Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Owiredu.
The rest are Yves Hanson Nortey (Tema Central), Elvis Morris Donkor (Abura Asebu Kwamankese), Samuel Erickson Abakah (Shama), Kwadwo Asante (Suhum), Emmanuel Kwasi Gyamfi ( Odotobri), Emmanuel Adjei Anhwere (Atwima-Nwabiagya South), Akwasi Darko Boateng (Bosome Freho), George Kwabena Obeng Takyi (Manso Nkwanta), Dr Adomako Kissi (Anyaa Sowutuom) and Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensah (Amansaman).
Suspended polls
The polls in four of the constituencies were suspended over different issues.
The elections in Agona West in the Central Region, and Mampong and Obuasi West in the Ashanti Region were injuncted by court actions, while the polls in Akuapem South in the Eastern Region was suspended because of a petition by the constituency executive.
In Yendi in the Northern Region, controversy ensued before the Electoral Commission could declare the results, leaving the outcome in abeyance, reports Mohammed Fugu.
It was the third National Vice-Chairman of the party, Alhaji Masawudu Osman, who declared the incumbent MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama, as the parliamentary candidate-elect for the constituency.
Alhaji Osman announced the votes for Mr Aliu Mahama as 495 out of the total of 785 valid votes cast, while the votes for his opponent, the Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Hajia Abibata Shani Mahama, were not counted due to the scuffle.
