President John Mahama says the NDC is using tomorrow’s bye-election in the Talensi constituency as a test-case of what will happen in 2016, adding that the party will recapture the seat by a landslide victory.
At a rally held yesterday to introduce Mr. B.T. Baba, the party’s Parliamentary candidate, ahead of tomorrow’s keenly contested bye-election, for the vacant Talensi seat, President Mahama stated that their candidate’s pedigree could accelerate development in the constituency, if voted as the Member of Parliament.
He told the well-attended rally that the candidate’s initials, B.T. stood for a ‘Better Talensi,’ stressing that Mr. Baba’s stint at the Prisons Service and as former Chairman of the Ghana Olympics Committee placed him in a better stead to be an advocate for development in the constituency.
He, therefore, urged the people to turn out in their numbers tomorrow to vote massively for Mr. B.T. Baba to represent them in Parliament.
The Talensi seat became vacant following the enskinment and subsequent resignation of the incumbent NPP MP, Mr. Robert Nachinab Doameng Mosore, who is now the Paramount Chief of the Tongo Traditional area.
As the bye-election drew near, the eight candidates contesting the Talensi seat intensified their campaigns for votes, with the hope of capturing the seat. The bye-election takes place in 74 constituencies across the constituency.
The arrival of the President’s motorcade rejuvenated the already politically-charged atmosphere in Talensi, as the enthusiastic crowd surged forward to catch a glimpse of him.
President Mahama told the gathering that the NDC was using the bye-election in the Talensi constituency as a ‘barometer’ for 2016 and stated that by the grace of God, the party would to secure a one-touch victory in next year’s general elections.
This time round, he said, the victory would be so overwhelming that the NPP would not be able to contest the outcome in a law court.
Mr. Mahama stated that the NDC lost the Talensi seat in the 2012 general elections because there were divisions among the rank-and-file of the party in the constituency.
He recalled that the party had 9,000 votes, while 6,000 votes went to the PNC, but said now that the party was united, it would secure about 20,000 of the votes.
President Mahama reminded the constituents of the development projects that had taken place in the area, in the field of education, healthcare, electricity and potable water supply, and gave the assurance that outstanding developmental challenges facing the constituency were being tackled head-on.
Other party gurus who addressed the rally were Mr. Kofi Portuphy, National Chairman; Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Vice-Chairman; Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader in Parliament; Kofi Adams, National Organiser; and John Akolgotia, former MP for the area, now Ghana’s Ambassador to Cuba.
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