Wa, Aug. 2, GNA - Mr Abdul-Hamid Mustapha, National Youth Organiser of the NPP on Saturday said the Upper West Region had ceased to be a stronghold of the NDC and the NPP was sure of capturing six of the region's eight seats in the next elections. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Wa after a five-day working tour of the region, he said his assessment was based on developments on the ground, which included the large number of high profile candidates who intended to become MPs for the party in the region. Twenty-one candidates, many of them high profile academics and professionals had so far filed their nomination papers to contest the primaries in seven of the constituencies in the region. Some of them are Dr Sebastian Bemile, Director of the Ghana Institute of Languages, for Lambussie constituency, Mr Ambrose Dery, Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for Lawra/Nandom constituency and Dr Daniel Debaga, Dean of Faculty of Integrated Development Studies of UDS, who wants to take the seat at Nadowli North Constituency.

Other high profile new entrants include, Major (Rtd) Edward Yirimambo, a Minister of state in Acheampong's regime for Wa Central Constituency and Wing Commander Eric K. Dakura, also for Nadowli North Constituency.

As to whether the new entrants to the party's primaries would not revive confusion in some constituencies, Mr Mustapha said the clamour for seats was in line with the party's democratic credentials. "It shows that our party is vibrant and growing. As democrats, we will never stop anybody from contesting for any position."

Mr Mustapha commended the regional executive of the party for laying down structures on the ground that were not known to the national executive.

These are the establishment of Paramountcy, zonal and electoral area executive committees, which liaise with the constituency executive.

"With these solid structures we will cover every blade of grass to capture the brains and minds of the people."

Mr Mustapha said where ever he went, in the region, the people praised the government for the numerous development projects it had undertaken within its two years rule and pledged to come back to their roots which is the Danquah/Busia tradition now that they were in power. According to him, the people criticized the NDC MPs for not living to their responsibilities as their ambassadors and would therefore, not give them their mandate to represent them again.