It has finally been established that three candidates from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West region, are contesting this year’s parliamentary elections as independent candidates.

Patrick Faruq Banda Naa contesting in the Wa West Constituency, Samson Abu who is the incumbent NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra and Der Gorbah who is also the incumbent for Jirapa constituency and seeking another term are all going as independent candidates.

The decision of all three follow fallouts from the NDC’s parliamentary primaries where the parties involved felt aggrieved over the outcome they claim were skewed in favour of the victors in the three constituencies.

Regional NDC Executives disclosed to ultimatefm that negotiations to have the three withdraw their nominations to back candidates of the party have hit a deadlock.

“We tried everything within our domain to negotiate with them to step aside in order to boost the chances of the party but this has not been successful because they seem to have taken entrenched positions” a party official revealed.

The NDC in the region is seeking to o secure at least 79 percent of the votes during the 2016 presidential elections with a resolve to win all the eleven parliamentary seats in the area.

Mr. Mathew Sung-aabu, Upper West Chairman of the NDC, said the plan forms part of an agenda to ensure that president John Mahama wins the 2016 election with a wider margin “to discourage the opposition New Patriotic Party from going to court”.

Available records indicate that the NDC got 51 percent of the total valid votes cast in the 1992 general elections, 76 percent in 1996 and 62.7 percent in the year 2000. In 2004, the party garnered 69.97 percent and reduced to 57 percent in 2008. However in the last general election, they appreciated to 65.54% and won 10 out of the eleven parliamentary seats in the region.

Credit: Ultimate Fm