12 Cleared to contest NDC Tamale Central primary

All 12 aspirants seeking to contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary in the Tamale Central Constituency have been cleared by the party’s vetting committee. 

The primary is scheduled for Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale.

The Vetting Committee, chaired by the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Barbara Serwaa Asamoah, completed the vetting process on Sunday, August 31.

Balloting was also conducted after the vetting exercise to determine the positions of the aspirants on the ballot paper for the primary.

Aspirants

The aspirants include Abdul Hanan Abdul Rahaman Gundadoo, a former Chief Executive of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly; Seidu Mohammed, Principal Research Assistant at the University for Development Studies (UDS); Mariama Naama Salifu, a diplomat,; and Dr Rahman Abdul Rashid.

Others are Dr Aliu Abdul Hamid, a civil engineer; Prof. Razak Abubakari, Senior Lecturer at Tamale Technical University; Alhaji Alhassan Nbalba, former Chairman of the NDC-UK/Ireland

Chapter; and Prof. Seidu Alidu, former Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, Legon.

The rest are Hajia Muliaka Sualisu; Sadat Harun Alhassan, a lawyer; Alhassan Osman Gomda, an entrepreneur; and Hajia Shamima Yakubu, the NDC’s Northern Regional Treasurer.

Advice

In her remarks, Ms Asamoah, expressed satisfaction with the calibre of aspirants in the contest and noted that for the first time, three women were in the race.

She, however, advised them to conduct their campaigns with restraint and decorum in order not to create division among the rank and file of the party in the constituency.

For his part, the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, urged supporters of the aspirants to desist from violent acts throughout the campaign period.

By-election

The Electoral Commission has fixed September 30, 2025, for the by-election to replace the late MP, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who died in a military helicopter crash on August 6, 2025.

Dr Mohammed, who was also Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, was in Parliament on the ticket of the NDC.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has already announced that it would not field a candidate in the by-election.

Recall

The NDC opened nominations on Friday, August 22, and closed the process on Sunday, August 24.

Writer’s email: mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh