Ten ministers seven deputy ministers and 18 Members of parliament lost their bids to return to parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in last Saturday’s parliamentary primaries
Ministers who lost their seats are the Public Enterprises Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia in the Western Region, Joseph Cudjoe; Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and MP for Tano North in the Ahafo Region, Freda Prempeh and the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and MP for Walewale in the North East Region, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu.
Mr Cudjoe lost his fourth term bid to a staff of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Secretary to the GRA Board, Isaac Yaw Nyarko Boamah, who is also a lawyer.
Dr Gideon Boako, spokesperson for the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia,defeated Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and MP for Tano North Freda Prempeh .
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and MP for Walewale, Hajia Zuweira Abudu, lost to Dr Kabiru Mahama, a Technical Adviser to the Vice-President.
The seven Deputy Ministers who lost their re-election bid are the two Deputy Ministers of Health, Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, MP for Weija-Gbawe in the Greater Accra Region, and Mahama Asei Seini, MP for Daboya/Mankarigu in the Savannah Region.
The rest are a Deputy Minister of Education and MP for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, Gifty Twum-Ampofo; Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation and MP for Juaben in Ashanti, Ama Pomaa Boateng; a Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and MP for Offinso North in the Ashanti Region, Collins Ntim; Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and MP for Lower Hemang Denkyira in the Central Region, Bright Wireko-Brobbey, and Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and MP for Trobu, Moses Anim.
Tina Mensah was defeated by Jerry Ahmed Shaibu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Coastal Development Authority; Mr Seini lost to a former Deputy Minister of Savannah Region, Samuel Tika; Mr Wireko-Brobbey was defeated by the CEO of Export and Import Bank, Ghana, Lawrence Agyinsam, while Ms Boateng and Mr Ntim lost their re-election bids to Frank Owusu Achiaw and Fred Kyei Asamoah respectively.
In Dome-Kwabenya, the CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Michael Oquaye Jr, was third time lucky as he defeated Sarah Adwoa Safo, while the MP for Subin in the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi, a key member of the NPP MPs that pushed for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, lost to Kofi Obiri Yeboah.
Others who were unsuccessful in their re-election bids are Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua), Sheila Bartels (Ablekuma North), Dr Adomako Kissi (Anyaa Sowutuom), Kwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensah (Amasaman), John Benam ( Zabzugu). The rest are Yves Hanson Nortey (Tema Central), Elvis Morris Donkor (Abura Asebu Kwamankese), Samuel Erickson Abakah (Shama), Kwadwo Asante (Suhum), Emmanuel Kwasi Gyamfi (Odotobri), Emmanuel Adjei Anhwere (Atwima-Nwabiagya South), Akwasi Darko Boateng (Bosome Freho) and George Kwabena Obeng Takyi (Manso Nkwanta).
16 incumbent Members of Parliament of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in May 2023 also lost their bid to represent their constituents in the party’s internal elections .
Meanwhile the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged the defeated parliamentary aspirants to consider the supreme interest of the NPP, and work closely with the elected candidates to secure victory on the December 7.
“To those who lost out, I, together with the rank and file of the Party, need your support and contributions to ensure that we win majority seats and the presidency in December 2024 elections.
“With unity of purpose, we will win in December 2024,” Dr Bawumia said in a statement on Saturday night.
However, the outcome of the polls was shocking and interesting, with more than 20 incumbent MPs losing their seats.
“I urge the unsuccessful aspirants to leave the election behind, consider the supreme interest of the party, and work closely with the elected parliamentary candidates to secure success for the NPP,” Vice President Bawumia said.
He, thus, congratulated all those who were elected to contest on the ticket of the Party, the NPP Election Committee, the Electoral Commission, the security services, and the media for their immense contributions towards ensuring a peaceful and successful outcome.
Below is the list of 28 Sitting NPP MPs who failed to retain slots in NPP primaries
Joseph Cudjoe – Effia
Freda Prempeh – Tano North
Sarah Adwoa Safo – Dome Kwabenya
Ama Pomaa Boateng – Juaben
Sheila Bartels – Ablekuma North
Moses Anim – Trobu
John Benam Jabaale – Zabzugu
Tina Naa Ayerley Mensah – Weija/Gbawe
Eugene Boakye Antwi – Subin
Akwasi Afrifa Mensah – Amasaman
Dr Amoako Kissi – Anyaa Sowutuom
Yves Hanson Nortey – Tema Central
Bright Wireko Brobbey – Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira
Elvis Donkor – Abura Asebu Kwamankese
Erickson Abekah – Shama
Akwasi Darko Boateng – Bosome Freho
Kwadjo Asante – Suhum
Mahama Asem Seini – Daboya Mankarigu
Gifty Twum Ampofo – Abuakwa North
Lariba Zuwera Abudu – Walewale
Collins Ntim – Offinso North
Kofi Okyere Agyekum – Fanteakwa South
Amankwah Asiamah – Fanteakwa North
John Osei Frimpong – Abirem
Isaac Kwame Asiamah – Atwima Mponua
George Kwabena Obeng Takyi – Manso Nkwanta:
Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi – Odotobri
Emmanuel Anwhere – Atwima Nwabiagya