Mr Ernest Kwaku Akubuor Debrah, the Northern Regional Minister, has defeated a colleague minister, who is also the incumbent MP for Tano North, Mr Joe Donkor,in the NPP constituency primary held at Techire on Tuesday.

Mr Debrah polled 63 votes, against 33 by his opponent, who is a Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. Madam Freda Prempeh, one of the contestants in the primary, stepped down and asked her supporters to vote for Mr Donkor just some few minutes to the balloting, but that could not save Mr Donkor from defeat.

Personnel from the Tano District Directorate of the Electoral Commission conducted the election, which attracted many people, including Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the Minister of Railways, Ports and Harbours and NPP parliamentary aspirant for Techiman North.

Before the election, Mr Donkor and Madam Prempeh protested against the constituency chairman , Nana Badu Forson, for openly supporting Mr Debrah and also allowing him to camp the delegates at an undisclosed venue to his advantage. The Regional Chairman, Mr Kwadwo Yeboah Fordjour, however, dismissed the claim, saying that the party?s constitution did not forbid the constituency executive from supporting a contestant.

He stated that since delegates were intelligent and mature individuals, there was no way they could be influenced to vote in a certain direction. Mr Fordjour urged supporters of the party to wok hard to enable the party to chalk a landslide victory in the constituency.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Debrah, who is also the former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised to live up to expectation.

He called on all party supporters to bury their differences and unite to work for a resounding victory for the party at the December polls.Mr Debrah pledged to employ the most scientific method of campaigning to ensure a landslide victory for the party in the constituency.

Mr Donkor pledged to support Mr Debrah to ensure total victory for the party and also to enable him to win the seat convincingly.