The incumbent Member of Parliament for the Atebubu-Amantin Constituency in the Bono East Region, Sanja Nanja, is seeking to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Atebubu-Amantin Constituency for the 2024 elections, but the 55-year-old experienced legislator is in for what might probably be the battle of his life as a Mathematics tutor at Amantin Senior High School, Atindogo Tahiru is bent on giving him a run for his money.
The contest has been described by many in the constituency as a 'father and son' contest because until last year, Atindogo Tahiru for several years was a close confidant and the right-hand man of Sanja Nanja.
He was a member of his campaign team for the 2012, 2016, and 2020 elections and is on record to have picked the nomination forms for Sanja Nanja for the 2016 elections.
Checks by GhanaWeb indicate that whilst Sanja Nanja is perceived to represent the old guards in the party, Atindogo Tahiru is seen as the new face and hope for a section of the youth who are yearning for change.
A total of 1636 delegates in 177 branches are expected to cast their ballot on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the Akokoa Presbyterian Primary School. According to the Constituency Secretary, Nando Francis, the party has put in place adequate
measures in line with the guidelines for organizing public elections in Ghana to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
“The elections will be supervised by the Electoral Commission and so there will not be any special guidelines. The guidelines will be the same as the guidelines for all public elections in Ghana so we are sure the measures will ensure a credible election at all costs”, he stated.
Security arrangements
Nando Francis revealed that there will be tight security at the venue before, during, and after the elections to protect the sanctity of the process.
“We want to have an incident-free election before, during, and after the process so we will have a strong police presence. Also, the party’s internal security will complement the efforts of the police so we have no problem with security at all”, Nando Francis assured.
Advise to delegates
He urged the supporters of both candidates to be decorous in their campaigns since it is an intra-party contest.
Sanja Nanja (left) and Atindogo Tahiru (right)