The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Nana Oye Lithur, has picked up nomination forms to contest in the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) parliamentary primaries at Shama in the Western Region, Citifmonline has reported.
The barrister and human rights activist sent a delegation to pick the forms on her behalf ahead of the closure of nominations on Thursday September 10.
Reports had been rife about her parliamentary ambitions but it was unclear where she was going to contest.
Prior to settling on Shama, Nana Oye Lithur had stated that she had options to either contest at Akropong in the Eastern Region, or Odododiodio and Nungua Krowor in the Greater Accra Region.
Campaign Coordinator for Nana Oye Lithur, Justice Kofi Ahiaveh, told citifmonline.com that the Minister of State is better placed to unseat the incumbent NDC MP Gabriel Essilfie.
According to him, Nana Oye Lithur, whose mother hails from Shama, is not new to the area and that she visits the community often, and contributes to
“Her chances are very bright because the people have been calling for her to come. A lot of lobbying has gone on by opinion leaders, branch executives of the party and all others. There have been lobbying for her to contest at Odododiodio in Greater Accra and another in the Eastern Region but she settled on Shama after listening to all the opinion leaders, chiefs and branch executives of the NDC.
The people believe she will be the best MP to lobby for development especially for the Shama District which was only created in 2008. So they believe in her caliber of person to contribute to their development.”
Justice Ahiaveh said the current MP who is in his second term, has done his best for the area but the people believe that at this point in time, Nana Oye Lithur will represent their interest better. Citifmonline.com can report that tension is building up in the camp of the current MP following the news that Nana Oye Lithur has joined the race.
The tension amongst other reasons is largely fuelled by the fact that Nana Oye Lithur’s Campaign Coordinator Justice Kofi Ahiaveh, was the same person who led the campaign to bring the incumbent MP to power.
It is however unclear what may have accounted for a sour relationship between him and the incumbent MP, Gabriel Essilfie. Justice Kofi Ahiaveh however says they will carry out a decent campaign that will solely focus on bringing development to Shama and not a campaign of vilification and name-callings. The Shama seat was captured by the NDC in 2008 after the incumbent MP, Gabriel Essilfie, snatched it from the NPP’s Angelina Baiden-Amissah.
