Another Parliamentary aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Gushegu Constituency in the Norttern region, Mahama Osman, has pulled out of the race four days to the contest.
NPP will be going to the polls on June 20, 2020, to elect Parliamentary candidates for the December 7, 2020, general elections.
Earlier, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency and Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts, Dr. Ziblim Iddi, stepped down citing personal reasons.
Reports say the MP exited after his attempts to go unopposed failed.
However, Mahama Osman in his withdrawal letter sighted by DGN online cited the need to build consensus in the constituency following the withdrawal of the incumbent.
In a withdrawal letter to the General Secretary of the NPP, Osman says “the immediate aftermath of the MP’s withdrawal from the race clearly underscores the need for the party to stay united going into the December 2020 general elections.”
“I have consulted widely with my immediate family, campaign team members, traditional opinion leaders, Gushegu Constituency and Northern Regional Executives of the party and have come to the firm resolve that it will be in the best interest of the party that a neutral person emerges to fly the flag of the NPP as our parliamentary candidate.”
“Accordingly, I wish to formally serve you notice of my withdrawal from the race to represent the good people of the Gushegu constituency in the upcoming parliamentary primaries,” the letter copied to President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Bawumia said.
Mr. Osman pledged to support whoever emerges to lead the NPP in Gushegu.
The party has already put a freeze on the election of a candidate for the constituency with the two leading contestants withdrawing from the race in order to search for a consensus candidate.
Three contestants including Prince Hardi of the Ofice of the President had been cleared to contest the primary in the constituency.
By Melvin Tarlue