Battle for Damongo seat heats up for nuclear power plant, NDC | Policy

The district of Damongo, which is also the administrative capital of the Savannah region, is one of the parliamentary seats in the new Savannah area that will be hotly contested in the 2020 general election.

The candidacy for this parliamentary seat will oppose the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power.

Damongo's parliamentary seat is currently occupied by NDC MP Adam Mutawakilu, nicknamed "Galus", but the NPP has promised to remove the seat in the 2020 elections, described as one of the "orphan" constituencies.

In addition to the South Salaga constituency that the NPP won in the 2016 elections, the remaining six parliamentary seats out of the seven in the Savannah region are held by the NDC.

These are the constituencies of Yapei-Kasawgu, Daboya-Makragu, Sawla-Thon-Kalba, Bole and Salaga North.

Determination / visibility

Although the NPP has scheduled September 28, 2019 to hold primaries in constituencies where the party has no MPs, one of the prominent figures whose name was clearly announced as the party's choice for the Damongo constituency is the deputy chief of staff of the Presidency, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor.

Sources close to the Savannah region nuclear power plant and Damongo constituency said Abu Jinapor would likely remain opposed.

Mr. Abu Jinapor, who is determined to seize the headquarters of Mr. Mutawakilu, NDC deputy in Damongo twice, reportedly began making serious progress in the Damongo constituency even before the creation of the Savannah and Damongo's subsequent nomination of the regional capital, sending signals that he was ready to drag him with the outgoing NDC deputy.

Among the philanthropic steps undertaken by Mr. Jinapor to establish his visibility in the constituency to overthrow the NDC deputy include the drilling of wells and the extension of electricity for some disadvantaged communities, the construction of a bridge leading to Damongo cemetery, donation of a search equipment to the Muslim community of Damongo to allow them to easily dig the graves of their missing, among others, the recent donation of 100 vials of anti-snake venom to the hospital of Damongo.

All of these actions would be to win the hearts of the people of the riding and set the stage for a fierce battle between him and the incumbent NDC MP.

In a recent address to the PNP Special Delegates Conference in Savongah, Savannah, Jinapor said the Damongo constituency provided a solid foundation for the NPP, which had twice won the bid of the party between 2000 and 2008 to represent the constituency. in the Parliament of Ghana.

He called on the delegates and party members to work tirelessly to allow the party to win the seat of the parliament of Damongo in the general elections of 2020.

The NDC resolution

However, members of the NDC regional executive in Savannah vowed to keep their party's seat in the 2020 elections with a wider margin to confirm that the region, which had been cut off from the northern region, remained their bastion.

"We are not disturbed by the incursions of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, to seize the headquarters of the NDC. The NDC is firmly on the ground and we will retain the seat in Damongo's parliament and win with a wider margin in 2020, "said Malik Basintale, regional director of communications for the NDC in Savannah.

Profile of sitting member

Mr. Mutawakilu, the NDC MP sitting in Damongo before he entered parliament on January 7, 2013 after winning the 2012 elections, was the District Director (DCE) of West Gonja (Damongo), now the capital of the Savannah region. .

In the 2016 general election, Adam Mutawakilu won the election with 10,263 votes, or 55.22% of seats, while his closest candidate, Albert Kbadim Diwura, of the NPP, won 8,139 votes, 43 79%.

If this result leaves something to be desired, the 2020 legislative elections in the Damomgo constituency will be hotly contested between the NPP and the NDC.