A look at parliamentary contenders in Tema and beyond

Politically, the Tema Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region has been divided into three constituencies, namely Tema West, Tema East and Tema Central constituencies.

This year’s polls in the metropolis will take place at 410 polling stations and an estimated 268,290 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots.

Out of that figure, Tema West has a total of 114, 502 voters, followed by Tema East with 93,398 voters and Tema Central,  60,390 voters.

With a few days left to December 7, 2016, the political parties and their candidates have been criss-crossing the metropolis canvassing for votes. From weekly Saturday health walks and football galas to church visitations, funeral attendance and market outreaches, the various aspirants are busily mobilising their followers to vote for them on election day.

Currently, all the three parliamentary seats are occupied by the New Patriotic Party (NPP)  with the other political parties positioning themselves to dethrone the NPP.

The candidates

For this year’s election, a total of 12 aspirants, including one independent candidate, have filed to contest for seats in the three constituencies. Four are contesting in Tema East, Five in Tema West and three in Tema Central.

The NDC, NPP and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) filed to contest in all the three constituencies. The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) made an appearance in one constituency.

The only independent candidate in the metropolis for this year’s polls is Mr Theophilus Nii Ankamah Densu Tetteh, who is hoping to cause a stir in the Tema East Constituency.

NDC is the only party to have filed a female parliamentary candidate in the person of Ms Ebi Bright who is contesting in the Tema Central Constituency.

Tema East

The parliamentary candidates for Tema East as they will appear on the ballot paper are Mr Robert Kempes Papa Nii Ofosuware (NDC), Mr Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus-Glover (NPP), Mr Richmond Larweh Mensah (CPP) and Mr Theophilus Nii Ankamah Tetteh, independent candidate.

At the 2012 parliamentary polls, Mr Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus Glover caused a major upset when with only a difference of three votes, he defeated the then Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Kempes Papa Nii Ofosuware. The final results after a recount of the ballots stood at 30, 075 votes for Mr Glover, while Mr Ofosuware garnered 30, 072 votes. In the coming contest, the NDC camp has vowed to recapture the seat.

Tema West

In the Tema West Constituency race to parliament, the aspirants are: Mr Marshall  Dogbatsey (PPP), Lawyer James Enu for the NDC, Mr Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah (NPP), Mr Kwaku Awotwe, (NDP) and PeterKin Kwame Kin-Adano of the CPP.

Since the first parliament of the fourth republic, the NPP has entrenched its dominance over the seat. However, in the last general election, the NDC came close to winning it but fell short by some 945 votes.

The NPP candidate for the 2012 election, Mrs Irene Naa Torshie Addo, secured 39,950 votes to edge out Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, then Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, who had 39,005 votes. That was the closest the NDC had come in its effort to recapture that seat.

The NPP is presenting a new face in the person of Mr Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah. Mr Ahenkorah’s candidature has suffered a number of internal disagreements with the camp of the incumbent MP. After the patching of all the differences and the calling of a truce by the party hierarchy, it appears the coast is clear for the NPP to maintain its dominance.

The NDC is, however, not giving up. Its candidate, Lawyer James Enu, is busily campaigning on the tagline “Homeboy” on account  that he was born and bred in the heartbeat of the constituency, Community 2 BBC and, is hoping to emerge victor in that race.

Mr Enu is not new in the race. In 2012, when the Tema Central Constituency was carved out from the Tema East and West constituencies, “Homeboy” contested for the NDC but was defeated.

This time, he has beaten a retreat and gone back to his original constituency and because of his party’s performance in the 2012 election, he is optimistic about winning the seat.

Mr Kwaku Awotwe of the NDP polled 59 votes, representing 0.07 per cent of the polls cast in the 2012 parliamentary race, and he hopes for better results this time round.

Tema Central

The candidates for the Tema Central Constituency are: Ms Ebi Bright, (NDC), Kofi Brako (NPP) and Rev. Nenyi Pobi Sam (CPP).

The NDC candidate in the metropolis appears to have brought some vibrancy into her party with her entrance into the race but whether she can stage an upset come December 7, 2016, is left for the constituents to decide.

In the 2012 election, the NDC, which had Mr James Enu as its candidate, polled 14, 360 (31.90 per cent) votes as against  the 26,948 votes (59.87 per cent) secured by the incumbent, Mr Kofi Brako (NPP).

It remains to be seen if the only female candidate in the metropolis will dethrone her contender in a constituency that has always voted for the NPP.

Kpone-Katamanso

There are four aspirants vying for the Kpone-Katamanso seat. They are the incumbent, Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo (NDC), Mr Stanley Kwesi  Klemm (PPP), Mr Solomon Tettey Appiah (NPP) and Ms Pearl Akua Agyemang (independent)

Three of these candidates who are contesting this year’s election, faced off in 2012. They are Mr Afotey Agbo, Mr  Klemm and Mr Tettey Appiah for their respective parties.

At the end of that contest, Mr Afotey-Agbo garnered 33, 598 votes, while NPP’s Solomon Appiah secured 23, 984 votes, with the PPP’s Klemm polling 1,107 votes.

With the inclusion of a female independent candidate, the rematch among the aspirants promises to be an interesting battle, especially since the independent candidate could take away a few votes from the NPP’s candidate.

Ningo–Prampram

The race for the seat in the Ningo-Prampram Constituency is an all-male bout. The aspirants are Mr Casmire Nii Okine Mensah (PPP), Sam Nartey George (NDC), Sylvester Tetteh (NPP), Richard A. Nartey (APC) and Frederick Marmah Nartey.

In the 2012 race,  Casmire Nii Okine Mensah, on the ticket of PPP, polled 447 votes while Frederick Marmah Nartey of the CPP secured 429 votes.The NPP’s Sylvester Tetteh ended up with 17, 122 votes, while NDC’s veteran politician, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, won the seat with 21,178 votes.

The NDC is presenting a new face, Mr Sam Nartey George, populary known as “Dzata”, this time round. Mr George won a hotly contested primary, defeating Mr Teye Mensah in that battle. It remains to be seen if the resultant acrimony has been dealt with to enable the NDC to retain a seat it has always won since 1992 or if the largest opposition party, the NPP is capable of winning the seat.

Ashaiman

In the 2012 election, a total of seven aspirants contested the seat in Ashaiman which was won by Mr Alfred Kwame Agbesi of the NDC.

In that contest, the NDC won with 47,154 votes as against Mr Seji Saji Amedonu of the NPP who had  32,650 votes. Mr Anthony Afenyo of the NDC stock who contested as an independent candidate, polled 13,864, while Ms Hamida Bidolti Damba of the CPP polled 184 votes. PPP’s Clemence Ameevor polled 402 votes, PNC’s Iddi Aminu had 1171 votes and URP’s Mark Ayaaba Faisal had 83 votes.

In this year’s race, both the NDC and NPP are putting up new faces. Mr Ernest Norgbey, who defeated the incumbent MP in the NDC primary, is pushing hard to retain the seat. His major contender is the NPP parliamentary candidate, Alhaji Labaran Yakubu Barry, who has vowed to win at least 65 per cent of votes cast in the constituency.

Also staging a comeback for the Ashaiman Constituency seat is Ms Hamida B. Damba of the CPP who contested the previous election. Also in the race are: Yakubu Musah ( APC) and Kojo Atta Ayetey (PPP).