Who takes the Tempane seat - Kpemka of NPP or Lamisi of NDC?

The Tempane Constituency has been one of the safest seats for the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress(NDC), in the Upper East Region since the country returned to constitutional rule in 1992 until it lost it in the 2000 and 2016 general elections.

The Tempane Constituency was carved out of the Garu-Tempane Constituency in 2012.

In 1992, Mr Dominic Azimbe Azumah of the NDC won the Garu-Tempane seat until it was taken from him by an Independent Candidate, Joseph Akudibilla in the year 2000. In 2004, Mr Dominic Azumah recaptured the seat and went ahead to win it for the NDC in 2008.

During the 2012 parliamentary election, the late David Adakudugu of the NDC polled 13,918 votes to beat Akudibilla when the latter dropped his independent candidature and stood on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party(NPP).

The late Akudibilla polled 9,737 votes in the 2012 elections.

In the run-up to the 2012 elections, there were calls for the sitting MP and Deputy Attorney General,Mr Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, to represent the NPP but unfortunately he lost the primary to Akudibilla.

However in 2016, the incumbent MP got the opportunity to lead the party in the parliamentary elections and polled 13,363 votes to defeat the late Adakudugu who polled 10,697 votes for the NDC.

Field contest

With the selection of Ms Lydia Akanvariba Lamisi, widow of the late David Adakudugu, as the NDC’s parliamentary candidate and Mr Kpemka as the NPP’s candidate, all is set for a fierce contest for the seat.

While Mr Kpemka will be seeking to retain the seat for the NPP, Ms Lamisi will attempt to wrest the seat back for the NDC.

Some political pundits are wondering whether Ms Lamisi can translate the overwhelming support she enjoyed from the NDC into defeating Lawyer Kpemka in the 2020 parliamentary election.

Some others believe the presence of Ms Lamisi in the race might win some sympathy votes for the party because of the demise of her husband, who until his death was the NDC’s parliamentary candidate.

Currently, the NPP has three seats — Zebilla,Tempane and Navrongo Central. The NDC is occupying the remaining 12 seats in the region.

NDC secretary

Assessing the NDC candidate’s chances against the NPP’s Lawyer Kpemka, however, in the 2020 elections, the Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Donatus Akamugri, explained that the party lost its hold on the constituency due to certain things that went wrong internally.

He expressed optimism that the NDC would reclaim all the seats in the region because “the Upper East Region is still a stronghold of the party and we are now united than ever before; all the odds are now against the NPP”.

NPP chairman

The Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Anthony Namoo, assured that the party had put in place measures to win more seats in the region in the 2020 elections.

“We have learnt our lessons and we can achieve that by ensuring that our internal democratic processes are transparent so that whoever wins would know that the system was fair to him or her," he said.

NDC candidate

Ms Lamisi, after the primary promised to continue with the good works of her late husband, adding that she was aware of the challenges but was ready for the task ahead.

She, therefore, called on members and functionaries of the NDC to join hands with her to hit the ground running.

Ms Lamisi would also be counting on her late husband’s legacy to win her the seat.

As a District Chief Executive for Garu-Tempane from 2009 to January 2013, the late Adakudugu facilitated the connection of 35 communities to the national grid and supported 42 brilliant, needy students in the constituency with scholarships worth GH¢ 55,000 among other projects.

NPP candidate

Mr Kpemka will also be relying on projects and interventions the government had initiated to the benefit of the communities and promised to deliver more when re-elected.

For instance, he said under the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), about 1,000 women in the constituency had been given loans with each of the beneficiary receiving GH¢1,000.00.

He said about 40 communities were currently benefiting from the rural electrification programme, while a total of 60 boreholes had so far been provided with 70 more to be provided this year for the residents.

The MP stated that under the One-village-One-dam policy, eight dams had been completed, while 10 more dams had been earmarked for completion this year. The One-district-One-warehouse policy is also being implemented, while six major roads in the constituency were receiving the needed attention.

Who wins?

The 2020 parliamentary election will be a two-horse race between the NPP and the NDC in the constituency.

But the question remains, will Lawyer Kpemka be able to retain the seat or will Ms Lamisi reclaim the seat for the NDC?