Daily Guide has gathered that Bede Ziedeng, former Upper West Regional Minister under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, will face a stiff competition from the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lawra Constituency, Samson Abu, who will battle to retain his seat as an independent candidate.

Information available to this paper indicates that he (Samson Abu) has already begun his campaign as his posters are all over the constituency.

Reports are that a group calling itself ‘Friends of Samson Abu’ has started a door-to-door campaign in the constituency to gather prospective voters for the incumbent MP.

Last year in the NDC parliamentary primaries, Bede Ziedeng won the race with a slim margin – 16 votes – over Samson Abu, setting the stage for Bede and Anthony Abayifa Karbo of the NPP.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, Mr Samson Abu could not confirm or deny the claim that he was still going independent.

According to him, there was information out there that he was going independent but he was not responsible for that information.

The recent tour of President Mahama to the constituency attracted low patronage as the NDC candidate could not gather enough crowd, making the president leave the area in disappointment.

During the tour, the chiefs and influential executives of the party boycotted what was supposed to be a mini-rally to give President Mahama the opportunity to ‘account’ for his stewardship.
Apparently disgraced by the low attendance, the authorities rather released school kids to meet the president.

When DAILY GUIDE asked Mr Abu if what he was saying meant he was not going independent, he said, “I have not said I am not going independent also.”

Investigations revealed that elders of the NDC at the headquarters and the constituency levels had tried dialoging with Mr. Samson Abu to change his mind about going independent, but to no avail.