Northern Region NPP targets more parliamentary seats
The Northern Regional Branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is determined to increase its current parliamentary seats from 10 to 17 in the 2016 general election.
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The NPP currently holds the Bimbilla, Yendi, Kpandi, Chereponi, Bunkpurugu, Walewale, Yagba-Kobore, Tatale, Zabzugu and Tolon parliamentary seats.
As part of its strategy to achieve this target, the party in the region has decided to allow some of its sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) to go unopposed.
The constituencies in which the party would not organise primaries are Bimbilla, Yendi, Kpandi, Chereponi, Bunkpurugu, Walewale and Yagba-Kobore but elections would be held in Tatale, Zabzugu and Tolon.
Meanwhile a total of 85 aspirants who had filed their nominations to contest the party's parliamentary primaries in the region were cleared by the party's regional vetting committee on Wednesday.
Aspirants
Out of the 85 aspirants who have passed the eligibility test to contest the primaries, only six are women. Out of the six women, two are contesting in Bole-Bamboi, two in Tamale North, one in the Nalerigu and one in the Damango constituencies.
The Northern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Sule Salifu, in an interaction with the Daily Graphic in Tamale on Wednesday after the vetting, said the party was satisfied with all the aspirants who had put themselves up for the contest.
The vetting of the aspirants in the region passed off without any incident and according to the party's regional secretary, the process was peaceful, adding that from the way the aspirants and their supporters comported themselves, it was an indication that the party was poised for unity to achieve the set target.
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Mr Salifu added that the party was not letting go of any chances and was determined to put up the strongest candidates ever to contest the parliamentary seats in the region.
He said what was even heartwarming was that about 80 per cent of the aspirants who were vetted and had received the nod to contest the primaries were below the ages of 40 and had the requisite experience, qualities and qualifications to represent their people in parliament.
Fortunes of party
Mr Salifu noted that the party was making inroads in the Northern Regions and would cause an upset come the 2016 elections.
The NPP Northern Regional Secretary said the party had only three seats in 2008 and was able to increase it to 10 in 2012 and had targeted 17 seats in the 2016 elections.
There are 31 parliamentary seats in the Northern Region and the NPP holds 10, the Convention People's Party (CPP) holds the Kumbungu seat with the ruling NDC occupying 20.