The main opposition party has picked former President John Dramani Mahama as its candidate for the 2024presidential elections.

Vote counting started late on Saturday and Mahama  garnered 297,603 votes representing 98.9 percent humiliating  his appointee Kojo Bonsu, a dethrone Chief Executive  of the garden city Metropolitan Assembly, who received a paltry 3,181 votes.

Mahama, a Christian and stalwart of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has made two attempts to capture the presidency after winning in 2012.

The 65-year-old lost to incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2016.

But Akufo-Addo will not be on the ballot next year when the second of his two four-year terms expires.

Mahama, who took over after his boss Prof John Evans Atta Mills passed on, was removed from power by Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party in 2016 with tones of promises.

In a victory speech posted on his Facebook account on Sunday, Mr Mahama urged all party members to work together in unity to win the 2024 general elections. He emphasised that there were no individual winners or losers in the party’s contest and requested cooperation among all the elected parliamentary candidates, aspirants, supporters, and constituencies across the country.

He expressed his gratitude to his campaign team for running a clean campaign and thanked the donors and financiers who supported his campaign, asking them to continue their support in the upcoming elections.

Mahama has stood in two primaries, and next year’s vote will be his third presidential bid.

Mahama’s main opponent will be from the ruling New Patriotic Party, which will choose its candidate at a Delegates Congress to be held November.

17 LEGISLATORS WILL NOT RETURN TO THE 9^TH PARLIAMENT

While executive positions in the Ghanaian  political sphere often witness upheavals with elected officials going through swinging doors, there is a certain level of continuity in the National Assembly. Parliamentarians enjoy an unlimited tenure and can keep representing their constituencies insofar they get re-elected every four years.

However, getting re-elected these days seems a chore as few as seventeen (17) out of One hundred and thirty-six (136 ) members of the minority caucus will not be returning to the Chamber for losing primaries.

Under normal circumstances, an incumbent Legislator has a better advantage to be re-elected over a fresh contender angling for the same post. The reasons are obvious. The incumbent often times is better known and gets more media exposure. He is also in a better position to raise more money for electoral campaigns. And more importantly, he has executed projects to campaign with.

However, a fresh contender may turn the table against an incumbent in the face of poor performance, bad exposure in the media, citizens’ desire for change and other political considerations.

 Here are 17 Parliamentarians that will not return for the ninth parliament.

 Lord Kwaku Boam has defeated Kwabena Donkor and Bright Fiawornu in the primaries held on Saturday, May 13, 2023, to become the new flagbearer for the Pru East constituency. Boam won with 474 votes, while Donkor and Fiawornu polled 371 votes and 66 votes, respectively.

Attah Issah, with a total of 801 votes, defeated Alhassan Bashir Fuseini popularly known as Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, the incumbent MP who had served three consecutive terms, in the Sagnerigu constituency primaries.

A young businessman, Nikyema Alamzy, defeated the incumbent MP for Chiana-Paga, Thomas Dalu, by polling 488 votes compared to Mr. Dalu’s 300 votes.

With 475 votes, Simon Akibange Aworigo emerged victorious over three other aspirants, including the incumbent MP for Navrongo Central, Samson Tangombu Chiragia.

NDC delegates in Bongo constituency red carded  the MP, Edward Bawa, as he lost to Charles Bawaduah.

Maxwell Kwame Lukutor defeated Wisdom Kobena Woyome, the incumbent MP for South Tongu, by polling 597 votes compared to Woyome’s 562 votes.

The incumbent MP Dela Sowah was defeated in Kpando by Sebastian Fred Deh, winning with 332 votes against Sowah’s 281 votes.

Mustapha Amadu Tanko defeated Augustine Tawiah, the incumbent MP for Bia West, with 935 votes while Tawiah managed to get only 452 votes.

A newcomer, Hajia Nasira Afrah, defeated the incumbent MP, Dr Alex Adomako Mensah, in Sekyere Afram Plains.

Krachie East’s incumbent MP, Wisdom Gidisu, lost the election to newcomer Nelson Kofi Djabab, who won with 441 votes, while Gidisu received only 257 votes.

Frank Afriyie emerged victorious in the Afadzato South constituency, winning with 631 votes and defeating the incumbent MP, Angela Alorwu-Tay, who garnered 225 votes.

Check the list of MPs who lost in the polls.

1. Kwabena Donkor – Pru East
2. ABA Fuseini – Sagnerigu
3. Thomas Dalu – Chiana-Paga
4. Samson Tangombu Chiragia – Navrongo Central
5. Edward Bawa – Bongo
6. Alex Adomako – Sekyere Afram Plains
7. Wisdom Gidisu – Krachie East
8. Abeiku Crentsil – Ekumfi
9. Albert Akuka Alalzuuga – Garu
10. Della Sowah – Kpando
11. Augustine Tawia – Bia West
12. Angela Oforiwa Alorwu-Tay – Afadjato South
13. Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah – Amenfi Central
14. Christian Otuteye – Sege
15. Kobena Woyome – South Tongu
16. Sophia Ackuaku – Current MP for Domeabra-Obom but switched to Ayawaso Central
17. Kwadwo Nyanpon Aboagye – Biakoye

TIE IN KETU NORTH, BUT AGBANA INSISTS HE WON

According to the Returning Officer, Prince Agbemanyah, both Edem Agbana and John Kobla Adanu received 358 votes each after a recount. As a result, the Electoral Comission  has provisionally scheduled a re-run to take place in Ketu North in 21 days, on Sunday June 4th, 2023, subject to the party’s decision.

 But Edem Agbana, says he has won the election fairly and squarely, insisting there will not be a run-off of the elections.

After initially being declared the winner with a lead of one vote, Edem Agbana’s victory was overturned after two recounts. The Electoral Commission (EC) discovered three ballot papers that had not been stamped, two of which were in favor of Edem Agbana and one was for John Adanu. The EC invalidated the three unstamped ballots, which resulted in a tie with both Edem Agbana and John Adanu polling 358 votes each.

For Edem, the unstamped ballots cannot be considered invalid, as they have serial numbers that prove they were issued by the EC’s ballot booklet.

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