Incumbents dominate Sissala West NDC polls
Ten executive members of the Sissala West Constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) retained their positions in polls held at Gwollu in the Upper West Region last Saturday.
Constituency secretary, Ali Adams Guguo; organiser, Majeed Giro; women's organiser, Alijata Alidu; and deputy women's organiser, Ramatu Asimiru, beat their respective challengers to retain their seats, while chairman Alhaji Adamu Konzie, vice chairman Ishmael Manaf, propaganda secretary Fatawu Razak, deputy propaganda secretary Mensah Wajiwie, treasurer Mohammed Mahmud and deputy treasurer, Vitalis Konabey were all elected unopposed.
Deputy organiser Sule Niarabra was the sole casualty among incumbents as Abass Ali Baata snatched his seat with 158 votes as against his 112, while Baba Osman Abdul Rahman picked the youth organiser slot after polling 53 votes against Mumuni Basi's 10.
Model polls
Devoid of any semblance of chaos, the Sissala West elections could well be a model for democratic proceedings for the entire country as losers and victors embraced one another as a way of displaying sportsmanship.
Re-elected constituency chairman Alhaji Konzie then declared that "it is the totality of our efforts that make us strong and not the positions we hold. Everyone of us who contested the polls or voted has made the party stronger by our participation in the process. Victory today belongs to the NDC.’’
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Sissala West and Minister for the Upper West Region, Alhaji Amidu Amin Sulemani, had urged the 248 delegates from the 62 polling stations in the run-up to the polls to be decorous and be guided by a sense of responsibility towards the party and the nation.
Perception
The District Chief Executive for Sissala West, Moses Dramani Luri, said impressions created by detractors of the ruling party about the state of the economy were wrong, judging by projects springing up in the constituency, including the new structures of the Hilla Liman Senior High School and the vast multi-purpose hall of the school, where the elections were held.
Meanwhile, in Wa Central, incumbent Alhaji Seidu Jamatutu, beat four other candidates to retain the chairmanship of the constituency, in an election that saw deputy organiser, Abdul Wahab Abu, and deputy women's organiser, Ubaida Alhassan, returned unopposed.
Incumbent secretary, Khalid Abdul-Rahman, and his deputy, Nasirdeen Tempuori Hanif, were, however, defeated while Abdulai Abass and Buala Ahmed retained their positions.
Others elected were Adams Iddrisu, vice chairman, Alhaji Umar Yahaya; organiser, Rashid Bickson; youth organiser, Yakubu Silinba; deputy youth organiser, Naeem Salifu; treasurer, Habib Iddrisu Doodo; deputy treasurer, Martha Fusena Abdulai; women's organiser, Mohammed Ahmed; propaganda secretary, Mumuni Mohammed Tando; and deputy propaganda secretary.
