Justin Kodua Frimpong
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has approved 326 parliamentary aspirants to contest for parliamentary primaries in various constituencies of the party to select its parliamentary candidates on January 27 this month.
According to the party, out of the 373 who filed for the primaries to contest for primaries in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs, 29 will go unopposed, eleven were disqualified, two referred to the National Executive Committee (NEC), two withdrew from the contest, one submitted an incomplete form while two failed to appear at the vetting.
Some prominent individuals who will be contesting unopposed include Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Seyram Alhassan; MP for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah; MP for Damongo and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor.
Others include MP for Bosomtwe and Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum; MP for Abetifi and Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Yaw Acheampong; MP for New Juaben South and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi; MP for Upper West Akyem and a Deputy Minister of Transport, Frederick Obeng Adom.
MP for Dormaa East, Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah and MP for Sefwi Akontombra, Alex Tetteh Djornobuah; MP for Ejisu and a Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah; MP for Effiduase, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie; MP for Offinso South, Isaac Yaw Opoku; MP for Akrofuom, Alex Blankson; MP for Tano South, and Dr. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere.
MP for Tolon and Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Alhaji Iddrisu Habib; MP for Karaga and Deputy Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam; MP for Gushegu and Deputy Minister of Transport, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli; MP for Tatale/Sanguli and Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Thomas Mbomba are among others who will contest unopposed.
The party also set up an appeals committee to help address grievances of aspirants who had challenges with the vetting process.
Meanwhile, some notable parliamentarians, including senior members of the leadership of Parliament, committee chairs and deputies, ministers and deputy ministers have announced their decision not to contest for the upcoming parliamentary elections in their respective constituencies.
They are the Majority LeadÂer and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu; Kennedy Ohene AgÂyapong, Assin Central MP; Joe Ghartey, MP for Essikado-Ketan; MP for Akyem Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea; MP for Okere and Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Dan Botwe among several others.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah