PNC loses its only seat in Parliament to NDC’s Clement Apaak

The People’s National Convention (PNC) has lost its only seat in parliament to the National Democratic Congress in Wednesday’s general elections.

Presidential staffer, Clement Apaak clinched the Builsa South constituency seat in the Upper East Region from Alhassan Azong who entered parliament in 2008 and again in 2012 on the ticket of the PNC.

But Mr Apaak at the close of polls Wednesday had garnered a total of 7,666 votes as against the 4,467 votes secured by Mr Azong who is a former presidential staffer at the Office of the President.

The New Patriotic Party candidate, Gariba Daniel Kwame who was the third candidate managed 2,814 votes, TV3’s Eva Atiboka reported from the constituency.

Mr Azong moved to join the minority in parliament earning him some ministerial appointments.

Many assumed the National Democratic Congress was not going to field a candidate in the constituency in the 2016 parliamentary election considering Mr Azong’s relationship with the NDC.

However, the party went ahead to elect a candidate in its primary to challenge Mr Azong for the seat. Few weeks to Wednesday’s elections, Mr Azong in a letter declared his support for the New Patriotic Party candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

In the said letter which was addressed to the NPP’s Director of Elections, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, the PNC candidate pledged to support the NPP in the Builsa South constituency to increase its vote in the constituency so that the NPP would also in return help him retain his seat.