Bimbilla (Upper East Region) - All is now set for the Wulensi by-election today(Tuesday). In all, seven candidates, including two independent contestants, are vying for the vacant seat.

According to the Namumba District electoral officer, Mensah Tegah, his outfit has received election materials for all the 65 polling stations in the constituency. There are about 28,721 eligible voters in the area. Tegah gave the assurance that everything possible will be done to ensure free and fair elections at all the polling stations.

In this regard, police and military officers have been stationed in the area to maintain law and order to facilitate the smooth conduct of the polls. The male dominance in the political culture of the country has again manifested in the filing of nominations as none of the contesting parties has put a female up for the post.

The contestants are John Sadaan Njigur, 48, a teacher, for NDC; Wumbei K. Karimu, 47, an educationist, for NPP; Mumuni Dawuda, 27, a teacher for DPP; and Okpanul D. Niwumbei, 33, a social worker, for the PNC. The rest are Inusah Natogmah, 30, a teacher, for Egle Party, Alhaji Musah Ziblim, 46, a businessman, and Ogah Magan Peter, 35, a teacher, both independent candidates. The CPP gas decided not to contest in the election.

The Wulensi seat became vacant following the Supreme Court majority decision to the effect that Samuel Nyimakan, former MP for the area was not qualified to stand as a candidate for the election to Parliament in the constituency.

Nyimakan’s review application against the court’s ruling on 15 January this year that it had no jurisdiction to entertain an appeal in an election case was subsequently dismissed.
Meanwhile, the hitherto quiet town of Wulensi is alive with the influx of politicians and their fleet of vehicles traversing the length and breadth of the constituency to canvass for votes in the by-election.
The large number of party functionaries, who have pitched their camps in the area for more than a week now in their frantic efforts to capture the seat, indicates the importance of the seat to all the parties.
Indeed, all of them have the majority of their executive members firmly on the ground. Some former and present ministers of state, members of Parliament, district chief executives and staunch party followers have all joined in the campaign.
It is alleged that some of the parties are using money, cloths bicycles and other items, including food, to lure the unsuspecting voters to vote for their candidates. Even though some of the parties are playing the ethnic card, there is no tension, as they seem to be addressing issues rather than whipping up sentiments. The Nanumbas and the Konkonbas are the two major ethnic groups in the constituency.
According to the national youth organiser of the NPP, Mustapha Ahmed, the party is “going to win because of our track record and the numerous development projects that have been put in place in the area since the NPP government assumed power.”