The upcoming NPP regional elections in the Upper East Region promises to be very competitive as almost all the incumbent executive are being challenged by new entrants who feel that it is time for a change.

At the end of the constituency elections, about eight constituency chairmen lost their positions, including other positions, which had put fear into some incumbent regional executive in their quest to retain their positions.

The outcome of the constituency elections has been an eye-opener for the incumbents seeking re-election as they campaign in order not to suffer a similar fate.

Aspirants

The candidates are Anthony Namoo, the incumbent; Jerry Asamani, Dr Moses K. Atinga, Murtala Mohammed, Filson Apambila Awankua and Alhai Bugri A. Ibrahim.

The five other aspirants are vigorously pushing for a new regional chairman since the incumbent failed to protect all three seats held by the NPP before the 2020 elections, namely Navrongo Central, Zebilla and Tempane.

Currently, the opposition has 14 parliamentary seats in the region with the NPP having only the Binduri
seat.

Who wins chairmanship race?

 Jerry Asamani, Murtala Mohammed and Filson Apambila Awankua

Per the political dynamics, the region is made up of three blocs, namely eastern (Bawku), central (Bolgatanga) and western (Navrongo) making up the 15 constituencies.

Interestingly, two of the aspirants, Asamani Jerry and Murtala Mohammed hail from the eastern bloc while the four others, Anthony Namoo (incumbent), Alhaji Bugri A. Ibrahim, Filson Apambila Awankua and Dr Moses Atinga are from the central bloc with no candidate from the western bloc.

Campaign strategy

The aspirants due to limited time to the polls are crisscrossing the entire 15 constituencies in the region to convince delegates to give them the nod to serve the party at the regional level.

The aspirants have adopted a strategy to meet the delegates personally or in groups at the polling station level to sell their campaign messages to them; they also interact with the party members on local FM stations across the region, as well as posters at every available public space.

Statistics
In the 2020 elections, the NPP garnered a total of 175,000 presidential votes representing 34.4 per cent as against 322,317 representing 62.3 per cent by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Therefore, there will be intense pressure on whoever will win the chairmanship position to increase the party’s presidential votes, recapture the lost seats and win additional ones as well.

Chairmen aspirants speak

In separate interviews, the six aspiring chairmen, were each optimistic of getting the nod to lead the NPP in the region.

Mr Nanoo, the incumbent chairman, said “the party’s gains will be eroded if I am not given another term”.

For his part, Mr Mohammed, who at a time acted as regional chairman after the demise of Adams Mahama, the former regional chairman, said he was in the contest to salvage the party.

According to Mr Awankua, his motivation for going into the regional chairmanship race was to help build a strong and vibrant party in the region capable of matching the dominance of the NDC.

On his part, Dr Atinga said the party in the region was in comatose, stressing that “as chairman, I am coming with a tripod system to turn things round towards the development of the party”.

Another aspirant, Mr Asamani said the party needed someone with exceptional organisational prowess like him to lead the party for the next four years.

For his part, Alhaji A. Ibrahim said he was a grassroots person who was urgently needed to galvanise the grassroots base of the party to make the party attractive and stronger.