The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is set to hold its parliamentary primaries on Saturday, January 27, 2024, to elect candidates ahead of the 2024 general elections.
One of the constituencies that will witness an interesting contest is the Sissala East Constituency in the Upper West Region, where an uncle and a nephew will battle for the party’s ticket.
The incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Amidu Chinnia Issahaku, who is also a Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources; and his nephew, Dr. Joshua Zato, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, will face off at the polls.
Issahaku, who is seeking a second term in parliament has touted his achievements in the constituency, speaking to Joy News, and believes that it will reflect in the upcoming primaries.
“He is my maternal uncle. He comes from the same home with my mother but you know what I have done for this constituency. There is a difference between theories and practicals and that is what this election is about. I am a practical politician who knows the terrain.
“My coming into the constituency to interact with the people has been consistent. You will eventually find me in the constituency every two weeks attending social gatherings and interacting with constituents. I have not stayed away from the people who voted for me,” he said.
Touching on the development he has brought into the constituency, the MP noted that there have been some notable developmental projects that have gone on under his tenure as an MP and he is willing to continue, should he get the nod again.
“Beyond that in terms of development, under the difficult circumstances as a result of the global pandemic, Sissala East has gotten a good share of development in terms of roads and others. Currently, we are having a major water project which we have handed over. The contractor is also about to complete an 80 million water project which will take care of population growth even beyond 20 years” he added.
Dr Joshua Zato, the aspirant seeking to unseat the incumbent MP, mentioned that he is not a political rookie as claimed by the MP.
To him, with the party’s choice of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as flagbearer, the constituency will need a competent person to complement the vice president.
“The whole of the NPP rallied to say that we need someone with a PhD to lead the party into the 2024 general election in the person of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. The problem in Sissala East is that we also need someone with a PhD. If the two persons with PhD like myself and Dr Bawumia contest and win, come 2025, Sissala East will be healed and development and progress will come to this constituency,” he also stated.
The Sissala East Constituency is one of the few swing seats in the Upper West Region.
This means that the power is likely to switch between the NPP and the NDC every four years.
But both the incumbent MP and his contender are convinced that they have the strength to retain the New Patriotic Party in power.