32 fall to thumbs of constituents

Page 13: Daily Graphic, December 13, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THIRTY-TWO Members of the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic have fallen to the thumbs of their constituents.
The new casualty list includes Mr Eric Opoku of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who surrendered the Asunafo South Constituency seat in the Brong Ahafo Region to George Boakye of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Boakye won the seat after clinching 16,504 as against 15,921 by Eric Opoku.
The NPP’s Kofi Osei-Ameyaw lost his Asuogyaman seat to the NDC’s Joses Asare-Akoto, who polled 16,608 as against Osei-Ameyaw’s 15,473.
Mr Joseph Nikpe Bukari of the NDC wrested the Saboba seat from the incumbent, Mr Charles Binipom Bintin of the NPP.
While the NDC candidate pulled 10,331 votes Mr Bintin had 8,944.
The people of Lambussie in the Upper West Region showed their appreciation to the ruling NPP for giving them a district with the election of the NPP candidate, John Duoghr Baloro, to replace the NDC candidate for the area, Madam Alice Teni Boon.
Mr John Baloro polled 6,513 votes as against Madam Boon’s 4,716.
The independent candidate for the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo Constituency, Mr Joseph Yaani Labik, also failed to retain his seat as the NDC’s Emmanuel Kwame Duut won the seat after polling 9,205 as against Yaani’s 6,359.
One of the candidates whose exit from Parliament had sent shivers down the spines of many people is the Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Hajia Alima Mahama, whose 11,437 votes could not match the 15,443 votes obtained by the NDC’s Dr Tia Alfred Sugri to keep the Nalerigu /Gambaga seat.
Mr Mohammed Ibn Abass of the NDC lost his Bimbilla seat to the NPP’s Dominic Bingag Aduna Ntiwul in a contest which Mr Ntiwul polled 27,195 votes to beat Mohammed Ibn Abass’ 16,005 .
In the Aowin Constituency, the NPP incumbent, Mr Samuel Adu Gyamfi’s 15,393 votes were not enough to retain him the seat as Mr Mathias Kwame Ntow of the NDC wrested the seat from him with 19,291 votes.
The NPP’s candidate for Awutu/Senya Constituency, Mr Oppey Abbey, could also not withstand the force of political tsunami that had swept many sitting MPs off their seats as his 23,234 votes could not match that of the NDC’s David Nana Larbie’s 25,527.
The People’s National Convention’s Mr David Apasara failed to hold onto the Bolgatanga seat as he surrendered it to the NDC’s Akolbire Emmanuel Opam-Brown.
While Opam-Brown topped the polls with 28,656 with the NPP’s Mercy Alima Musah following up with 10,063, Apasara polled 10,009 to come third.
Another big time fatality was the NDC’s Collins Dauda who fell to the NPP’s Yiadom Boakye Boateng in the Asutifi South Constituency by 16,504 votes to 15,921.
The NDC MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, also hit a dead-end when the NPP’s Adamu Dramani picked up the seat after collecting 20,157 of the ballots ahead of Ayariga’s 17,385 following a second recount which saw ballots conveyed from Bawku to Bolgatanga specifically for that purpose.
Mr Ayariga has, however, given indication that he would contest the results in court.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim of the NDC also cut short the parliamentary lifespan of the NPP’s Joe Danquah by wresting the Tain parliamentary seat from him. The NDC candidate polled 14,965 votes past Joe Danquah’s 12,048.
The NDC’s Abolimbisa Roger Akantagriwen also lost his Builsa South seat in the Upper East Region to the PNC’s Alhassan Azong who won the seat with 4,047 votes as against Abolimbisa’s 3,988.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs Agnes Asangalisa Chigabatia, could not hold on to the Builsa North seat after surrendering it to the NDC’s Awontiirim Ataboadey Timothy by 8,259 votes to 6,988.
The incumbent MP for Shama and Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs Angelina Baiden Amissah lost her seat to the NDC’s Gabriel Kodwo Essilfie.
The NDC candidate had 14,508 while Baiden Amissah settled for 13,702.
The immediate past Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Mr Joe Osei-Owusu demonstrated his popularity among constituents of Bekwai by defeating the NPP’s incumbent MP, Mr I.K. Poku Edusei with 34,700 as against the incumbent’s 8,550 votes.
Both candidates contested the NPP primary which was won by the incumbent by a single vote.
Mr Osei-Owusu, however, broke off the NPP after deciding to vie for the seat as an independent candidate.
The NDC’s candidate for Jomoro, Mr. Lee Ocran lost out to Samia Nkrumah of the Convention Peoples Party by 19,916 to 13,345.
The CPP’s candidate for Evalue Gwira, Mr Kojo Armah lost his seat to the NPP’s Catherine Afeku while the NDC candidate for Techiman North lost the seat to the NPP’s Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi with the NPP candidate for the Bosome-Freho constituency losing out to independent candidate, Nana Yaw Ofori-Kuragu.
The most prominent MP’s who would not be returning to Parliament are the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Freddie Blay, the Second Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, the Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng and the Minority Spokesperson on Finance and MP for Lawra/Nandom, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor.
Others include the Minister for Public Sector Reforms, Mr Samuel Owusu Agyei and the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Gladys Norley Ashietey.
Mr Kwadjo Opare-Hammond of the NPP hit the end of the road when he lost his Adenta seat to the NDC’s Kojo Adu Asare, Abuga Pele of the NDC and Mr Kwabena Adusa Okerchiri of the NPP who lost his Nkawkaw seat to independent candidate.