The race for the Tamale South parliamentary seat is heating up, as four new candidates step forward to challenge the long-serving incumbent, Haruna Iddrisu.
After two decades in Parliament, the former Minority Leader is seeking his sixth consecutive term representing this constituency.
The Tamale South constituency, a stronghold for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has consistently supported the party over the past 20 years.
Bordered by Tamale Central, Tamale North, Tolon, and Central Gonja, the constituency has repeatedly shown loyalty to the NDC, as data from the Channel One Research Unit shows.
Haruna Iddrisu, who has held the seat since 2004, has continually outperformed his opponents. In 2008, Haruna Iddrisu won with 27,366 votes (57.35%), while his closest contender, NPP’s Seidu Naa Salifu Be-Awuribe, garnered 14,329 votes (30.03%).
In 2012, Iddrisu expanded his lead with 50,063 votes (74.6%), as the NPP’s Abdulai Yushawu Sulemana captured 12,079 votes (18%).
In 2020, he secured 69,787 votes (over 79% of the total), while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) garnered just 17,687 votes (20%).
The NPP’s vote share has historically remained under 30%.
This year, Iddrisu faces four opponents, including the NPP candidate, Independent candidate Yahaya Haashimiyu, and two others from the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Convention People’s Party (CPP).