The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday held parliamentary primaries in constituencies it has no Members of Parliament (MPs), often referred to as ‘orphan constituencies’.
The polls were conducted in 100 constituencies, however, primaries in six constituencies were put on hold.
A total of 283 aspirants were given the green light to contest in Saturday’s parliamentary primaries. Out of the number, only 28 of them that were females.
Some top government officials, including the Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yanka, Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam and Dr Ibrahim Anyars, the Chief Executive of Nation Builders Corp emerged victorious.
A delegate collapsed and later confirmed dead at a polling station in the parliamentary primaries in the Ablekuma South Constituency in the Greater Accra Region.
The deceased, Jonathan Nii Otu was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he was confirmed dead from cardiac arrest Saturday afternoon.
Delegates in Amasaman fumed over the decision of the party to call off Saturday’s parliamentary primary following a court injunction and were also angry over their inability to secure their transportation fares back to their various homes as a result of the cancellation of the polls.
The delegates were not as upset over the cancellation of the polls as they were about the challenge in getting money for transport to their homes when an aspirant, Rockson Adu Boahene on Friday obtained an interlocutory injunction to stop the election after he was disqualified from the contest.
Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah won the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primary in the Agona East Constituency when
he polled 267 votes out of the total votes cast to win.
Professor Yankah beat competition from Prince Yaw Essah, who polled 127 votes, and Dr Ken Abrokwa, who got 175 votes.
The Tertiary Education Minister, who is also an author, is seeking to enter Parliament for the first time on the NPP’s ticket.
The Agona East seat is currently occupied by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament, Queenstar Maame Pokua Sawyerr.
Dr Mohammed Amin, Deputy Minister of Energy, polled 385 votes to be elected the parliamentary candidate for the Karaga Constituency when he defeated
three other contenders, Alhassan Abdulai, Affa Sulke and Dr Suyati.
Dr Amin will contest the 2020 elections and he will come up against current NDC Member of Parliament, Alhassan Sualihu Dandaawa and is confident to annex the seat for the NPP in 2020.
BY TIMES REPORTER
