The two day process which ended on Sunday saw the disqualification of three aspirants while seven contestants stepped down. It was chaired by the party’s National General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and supported by the first Vice Chair, Betty Mould Iddrisu as well as other Regional Executives.
In all 120 people participated in the process in Tamale in the Northern Region. They included sitting Members of Parliament, former MPs as well as both some current and former district chief executives in the region.
Cheriponi District Chief Executive, Mary Nakobo stepped down leaving Hon Hawa Boya Gariba, former Dep Minister of Women and Children who was cleared before she went to Mecca. She is contesting Sagnarigu Constituency with the Dep. Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini. The other is Hajia Mary Salifu Boforo, for Savelugu, a pioneer parliamentarian since 1992
The Regional Director of Elections of the party, Tanko Rashid Computer told tv3network.com that one of the disqualified aspirants, Mohammed Kamal Abubakar from Karaga, took the party to court when his candidature was not approved in the last vetting.
He explained that the case is still pending in court, adding the two aspirants were disqualified because they were not in good standing in the party. They are Gmayi Tamanja Ben from Bimbilla and Ali Joseph Lachir from savelugu.
Mr. Computer claimed Ben campaigned against the party after he was not approved at the last vetting to contest in the primaries while Mr. Lachir is said to have been inactive for sometime.
Mr. Computer said the Northern Region is a strong hold of the party for which reason they hope to win 29 of the 30 constituencies without any difficulty.
He said any member who decides to stand as an independent candidate in the election should he fail to get the delegates nod, will have his or her membership revoked, and thus urged all who fail to get the mandate of the delegates to support one to be elected.
Mr. Computer asked the aspirants have a campaign devoid of personal vendetta, saying that they are suppose to put the interest of the party above their personal interest.
By Zakaria Abdul-Kadiri/3news.com/Ghana
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