Newly-elected New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate in the Wa central constituency, Hajia Humu Awudu has stated that her victory for women and change.

She said for 27 years the seat has been held by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) but that must change in the next general election.

She said although she has won the battle to represent the party, the real battle was in 2020 when she faces the NDC candidate.

The parliamentary primary on Saturday was held amidst tight security from a combined team of police and military.  It was one of six parliamentary primaries held by the party in the region for constituencies without a representative in Parliament.

Some 3,291 delegates took part in the election in the Upper West Region.

Hajia Humu Awudu, who is the Founder and Chief Executive officer of Hajia Humu Foundation, pummeled the two-time parliamentary candidates of the party and now Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Issahaku Tahiru Moomin, in a primary that also had three other contestants.

"I came into the election because of youth. Those who are brilliant but needy. I came to this election because of poor women who have business plans but have no money to do it. I want to empower them. It's time that Wa Central we say ‘we need a survivor’.

“We need somebody who will bring and empower them to give them job push them to let them grow. This is a win that shows we are all one. It is a win that shows that people want change and they want to try a woman too," said.

The woman who hails from Limanyiri-Vobile polled 302 votes whilst the Wa Mayor polled 260 votes.

Many expected Nurideen Ahmed Froko to pull a surprise in the race considering the high profile persons that were part of his campaign, however, his best was 208 votes.

Bashirudeen Janet Biibii did not have the same luck that propelled her in 2015 primary to lose by a whisker. She had 12 votes whilst Abubakar Salfu Orison who campaign for the restoration of the heritage of the party got 7 votes.

In reality, there was a shadow candidate in the contest that many believe led to the defeat of the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Tahiru Issahaku Moomin.

The relationship between the Constituency Chairman, Ali Kamara and Tahiru Issahaku Moomin got strained after the 2012 polls after the former accused him of hoarding the party's campaign funds for his selfish interest.

Tahiru Issahaku Moomin has strenuously denied this allegation
 

The tension between the two worsened during the constituency chairmanship election when chairman Ali Kamara accused him of making clandestine moves to remove him from office by allegedly fielding an aspirant against him in the constituency executive elections.

Chairman Kamara won the election by a landslide and since then they have been sworn enemies.

So in this election, it was crystal clear where the pendulum was swinging to and his support for Hajia Humu was not hidden.

However, defeat for the mayor from any of the aspirants was considered a victory for Chairman Kamara.

The victory of Hajia Humu Awudu, therefore, shows that Chairman Kamara has a grip and control of NPP Wa Central constituency and will surely be feeling better than the days before.

Former Jirapa NDC Member of Parliament, Derugobaa has his parliamentary ambition now flamed up but this will run on the ticket of the NPP.

He won the Jirapa Constituency seat in 2012 as an independent candidate after losing the NDC parliamentary primary.

Paul Derugoba joined the NPP after the 2016 polls and was later made a polling station executive.

He won a landslide victory against Jirapa Municipal Chief Executive, Christine Bombanye Amadu.

Paul Derugoba had 357 whilst Christene Bombanye Amadu managed 185 votes.