Election 2020: Lecturer reveals why Abayage suffered “disgraceful defeat” in Navrongo

A senior lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr. Vida Nyagre Yakong, has ascribed the “shocking defeat” suffered by the Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage, at the parliamentary election in the Navrongo Central Constituency to two reasons.

She says the Regional Minister failed to follow her own ‘advice’ and also did not go by a ‘caution’ given by the Minister for Aviation and outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) for the Navrongo Central Constituency, Joseph Kofi Adda.

After Dr. Yakong lost a primary election of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as an aspirant in the Nabdam Constituency in August, 2019, Abayage took to her own Facebook page and lampooned her.

“Last week, an NDC parliamentary candidate from Nabdam constituency was attacking the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, instead of focusing on her internal Primaries. Today, she had 18%. Someone should tell her that as human beings we crawl before you walk,” the Regional Minister wrote on August 24, 2019.

Before Adda and Abayage contested at a parliamentary primary election of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in June, 2020, the Aviation Minister reportedly had told the Regional Minister that the coveted seat was never won by “slaying and drinking around the constituency”. Abayage won the June primary but lost the general election six months later to the NDC’s Samson Tangombu Chiragia with a gap in excess of 11,000 votes.

Whilst Abayage apparently was dealing with the emotional bruises she rather received at a contest that took so much money away from her, Dr. Yakong launched a tit-for-tat attack. Using the same Facebook medium, the senior lecturer told the ‘bereft’ Regional Minister that she crashed at the polls for throwing Adda’s caution to the wind and for ignoring the same ‘mocking’ advice she gave on her Facebook page when she (Dr. Yakong) lost the NDC primary election in Nabdam in 2019.

“To the lioness who has set a record for distribution of goodies and money to buy delegates in the Navrongo Central Constituency to win primaries, I thought she learned how to ‘crawl before walking’. These were your own words a few months ago to a colleague woman who lost primaries.

“My dear sister, you should have taken the brotherly and kind advice from Hon Kofi Addah that it’s not ‘slaying and drinking around the constituency’ and region that will win you the seat but being a responsible person capable of standing the task of decent leadership and womanhood. I encourage you to learn from the story of the fly and the corpse, and also, know that a ‘Calf does not laugh at an adult hornless cow’. Better luck next time,” Dr. Yakong posted.

Dr. Yakong congratulates female winners of 2020 parliamentary polls

Forty women won parliamentary seats across the country at the recent general elections. The NDC and the NPP won twenty seats apiece. In the same Facebook post, Dr. Yakong passed on good wishes to the victorious women, particularly the two women from the Upper East Region.

“I wish to congratulate all the resilient women who won their respective parliamentary seats in Ghana in general and in Upper East Region in particular. I wish them well in their dream to contribute towards the development of Ghana,” she said.

Below is a list of the 40 female MPs in the 8th Parliament:

NDC:

1. Abla Dzifa Gomashie – Ketu South Constituency
2. Angela Oforiwaa Alorwu Tay – Afadzato South Constituency
3. Agnes Lartey – Krowor Constituency
4. Comfort Cudjoe Ghansah – Ada Constituency
5. Dela Sowah – Kpando Constituency
6. Dorcas Afo Toffey – Jomoro Constituency
7. Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare – Techiman North
8. Gizella Tetteh – Awutu Senya West Constituency
9. Hellen Ntoso – Krachi West Constituency
10. Joycelyn Tetteh – North Dayi Constituency
11. Linda Ocloo – Shai Osudoku Constituency
12. Lydia Lamisi – Tempane Constituency
13. Queenstar Pokuwaa Sawyerr – Agona East Constituency
14. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah – La Dadekotokpon Constituency
15. Sophia Ackuaku – Domeabra Obom Constituency
16. Theresa Lardi Awuni – Okaikoi North Constituency
17. Zanetor Rawlings – Klottey Korley Constituency
18. Zewura Ibrahimh – Salaga South Constituency
19. Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba Alalzuuga Alberta Akuka – Tempane Constituency
20. Laadi Ayamba – Pusiga Constituency

NPP:

1. Abena Osei Asare – Atiwa East Constituency
2. Adelaide Ntim – Nsuta Kwamang Beposo
3. Ama Pomaa – Juabeng Constituency
4. Cynthia Morrison – Agona West Constituency
5. Dakoa Newman – Okaikoi South Constituency
6. Francisca Oteng Mensah – Kwabre East Constituency
7. Freda Prempeh – Tano North Constituency
8. Hawa Koomson – Awutu Senya East Constituency
9. Gifty Twum Ampofo – Abuakwa North Constituency
10.  Lariba Adudu – Walewale Constituency
11. Lydia Seyram Alhassan – Ayawaso West Wugon
12. Mavis Nkansah Boadu – Afigya Sekyere East Constituency
13.  Naana Eyiah – Gomah Central Constituency
14. Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei – Akuapem North Constituency
15. Ophelia Hayford – Mfantseman Constituency
16. Patricia Appiagyei – Asokwa Constituency
17.  Sarah Adwoa Sarfo – Dome Kwabenya Constituency
18. Sheila Bartels – Ablekuma North Constituency
19. Tina Mensah – Weija Gbawe Constituency
20. Ursula Owusu Ekuful – Ablekuma West Constituency

By Edward Adeti, Upper East Region, Daily Mail GH