Information reaching The Chronicle indicates that contrary to speculations in the Volta regional capital, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mawutor Goh, has not bowed out of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries in the Ho West Constituency after all.

This development has made the race keener than previously expected, as Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State for Tertiary Education, and her old time friend and partner in the Education Service, Miss Esther Happy Edjeani, in charge of basic private schools, would have to lock horns with him for the party?s parliamentary ticket.

Goh told this paper in a telephone interview that he was as solid in the contest ?as the Mountain Afadjato?, and that he had never dreamt of capitulating.

Now, based on his claim, and barring any further stepping-downs, aside that of Albert Amedzro, who opted out nearly six months ago, one can reasonably forecast that the contest to pick the next NPP candidate to ?fight? Aggrey Agbotse for the seat in December would be too close to call.

This is because all three candidates are living nothing to chance, and so are their campaign managers, with some funny smearing tactics being resorted to here and there.

The date for the ?Clash of the Titans?, though yet to be finally fixed by the regional executive, had to be postponed a couple of times due to confusion over which list of names should be the acceptable to polling station chairpersons to vote as delegates.

At a point in time the album of polling station executives being compiled was alleged to have ?disappeared? for several weeks until, as The Chronicle learnt, it surfaced in Accra. At the same time there were bouts of accusations and insinuations from various camps, coupled with a series of petitions to the national executive as to who among the three was a true or ?better? NPP member, and when he or she actually joined the party.

Then the rumour about Goh stepping down filtered in and started spreading like the usual bushfire raging from Abutia, through Anfoeta to Vane in the same constituency the three scholars are vying to represent. This nearly set the stage for an all women?s affair until the man at the centre debunked the rumour.

?The chronicle? has spotted those strategizing for each candidate, crisscrossing the constituency on a number of occasions doing their best for their ?idols?. Evans Ayivor, for Miss Edjeani, told this reporter recently that his other colleagues campaigning for the others were wasting their time, because according to him Esther was miles ahead of the rest.

?We are ready to shock the world at the primaries, and believe me some people would be rushed to the hospital that day because they wouldn?t be able to withstand the defeat?, he stressed.

In a similar vein sources close to David Azim, for Miss Ohene, said the minister would carry the day. In fact Azim himself told this reporter that he had made his permutations properly and would put his neck for Ms Ohene.

But in all these, Richard Apenu, for Goh, has adopted a ?never say die? attitude, saying that with his small motor-cycle, he had combed every hamlet of the constituency and was just waiting to be carried shoulder high, for a job well done, when the results were declared.

Chronicles enquiries said Ms Ohene has just returned from a tour of Japan and South Africa while Miss Edjeani is currently on an official trip to Turkey and as such they both could not be reached. But when contacted, Goh said he had heard all the rumours in town and had just been laughing at the peddlers.

?This had been the message of some contestants since day one, but they are getting it all wrong. Please tell my fans not to be discouraged by those unfounded claims?, he said. According to the chief executive, he had maintained a low profile of late because of workload, as is usually the case at the beginning of each year.

He said the NPP had made significant in-roads in the district and region due to the liberal governing style of the president, and hoped the party could chalk successes in the December general election.

He called on the other contestants to accommodate others in the race and stop the rumour mongering, saying; ?Even if I would step down I want to tell them that the idea has not yet occurred to me?.