Tema, Oct. 26, GNA - Twenty-eight candidates including five women and eight independents have filed their nominations at the Tema Office of the Electoral Commission (EC) to contest for the five seats in the Tema Municipality.

Mrs Philomena Edusei, Tema Municipal Electoral Officer, told the Ghana News Agency that, six candidates were vying for the seat at Tema East, seven in Tema West, and five each for Ashaiman, Kpone/Katamanso and Adenta Constituencies.

She gave the names of the independent candidates as Mr Albert Antwi-Nuamah; Mr Lord Koranteng Hamah, Student; Mr Ramseyer Agyeman-Prempeh and Mr Kenneth Nana Amoateng.

The rest were Mr Justice Awortwe Edwards; Ms Ayele Bonnie Ajavon; Mr Samuel Kwame Amable and Madam Pearl Akua Agyemang.

Three of the independent candidates, namely Madam Ajavon, Mr Agyeman-Prempeh and Mr Amable are from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at Tema West, while Mr Nuamah is from the National Democratic Party (NDC) at Tema West.

Mr Agyeman-Prempeh was expelled from the Party for going solo. They had complained earlier that, their parties' hierarchy treated them unfairly.

The Electoral Officer said Mr Ishmael Ashitey and Mr Abraham Ossei-Aidoo, NPP incumbent MPs for Tema East and West were seeking re-election for the third time.

Mr Ashitey is contesting the seat alongside Mr Charles Akwetey Fynn-Williams, for the Convention Peoples' Party and Mrs Emelia Kai Adjei, an Educationist, for NDC; Mr Antwi-Nuamah, Mr Agyeman-Prempeh and Mr Hamah.

Mr Ossei-Aidoo is equally contesting at the Tema West constituency with Mr Godfired Allan Lomotey, CPP; Mr George Komla Medie, NDC and Mr Kojo Amoako, Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE) and Nana Amoateng, Mr Awortwe and Madam Ajavon.

Mrs Edusei stated that Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Kabu (rtd), NDC; Mr Patrick Offei-Addo, CPP; Mr Kojo Opare Hammond, NPP; Mr Abdul Manaf Yunus, DPP and Dr David Pessey, NRP, were struggling to win the Adenta Seat.

At Kpone/Katamanso, she said, Mr Justice Tetteh, CPP; Mr Solomon Tettey Appiah, NPP; Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, NDC; Madam Rita Akwei, PNC and Madam Pearl Akua Agyeman, Independent Candidate, were fighting for the seat.

At Ashaiman Constituency, the incumbent MP, Mr Emmanuel K. Teye is seeking re-election against Lawyer Alfred Kwame Agbesi, NDC; Hajia M. Hajara, PNC; Mr Phoyon Issac Bruce, CPP and Mr Amable, Independent, are contesting.

This year's election is Lawyer Agbesi's third attempt to contest for the seat. He won the primaries in 1996 but pressure from the NDC hierarchy compelled him to step down for Mr Franklin Aheto. He, however, did not take kindly to this when in 2000 he was again frustrated to step down in favour of Mr Aheto and so decided to contest as an Independent candidate but lost to Mr Teye.

Mrs Edusei said the Municipality had 362 polling centres and efforts were being made to get the electoral materials ready for the elections.