The parliamentary aspirant for the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the Sissala West Constituency in the Upper West Region, Haruna Bayiriga, has withdrawn from the race.
A letter from the constituency secretariat of the party said Haruna Bayiriga had pulled out due to the cost of filing and the demand for declaration of assets of parliamentary aspirants.

A letter to this effect, signed by the party’s constituency secretary, Mohammed Abdulai, said “the astronomical increment of filing fees from GH¢1,000 at the last election (in 2012) to GH¢10,000, and the requirement to pay same on or before 12 noon of October 10, 2016”, had forced the party out of the contest.

“Also, the request for candidates to declare their assets requires legal services which add to the cost,” the letter stated further.

The letter said the party “had hoped the High Court would vary the decisions to enable poorly resourced parties to participate in the elections, but it turned out not to be so”.

Mr Bayiriga’s withdrawal from the contest leaves the Upper West Regional Minister and incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Patrick Adama, as the straight rivals in the contest for the seat.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Amidu Sulemani launched his campaign at Gwollu last Sunday, and called on the people to return him and President John Mahama to power “to enable the NDC to continue to bring development to the people”.

Campaign launch

Addressing the supporters at the rally, the regional minister said the NDC’s expansion of access to education, water, health care, improvement in sanitation conditions, security and other social interventions were evidence of proper investment of resources to improve society in general.

He said the party would continue to tackle projects and policies to alleviate poverty in order to empower the average person to make the right choices in life.

The MP for Wa Central, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, who is also a Minister of State in charge of Private Public Partnership, said Alhaji Amidu Sulemani’s prominence was evidenced in the fact that he had worked in all the governments of the NDC or its antecedent, the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) since the early 1980s, and that the electorate should endorse him on December 7.

Amid the carnival atmosphere, gingered by contemporary tunes in local showbiz, the likes of the MP for Wa West and a former Minister of Health, Mr Yieleh Chireh; the MP for Sissala East, Mr Alijata Sulemana, and the National Women’s Organiser of the NDC, Madam Zainab Mahama, all extolled the virtues of the NDC candidate who once also served as Ghana’s ambassador to Egypt.

graphic online

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