Sixty-three candidates including 10 women are contesting the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries on June 20 to represent the party in 27 constituencies in the December 7 general election.
The 63 candidates were cleared by the vetting committee and upheld by the National Executive Committee, out of 79 aspirants who filed their nominations for consideration to contest.
Four out of the 10 women are sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) with two of them going unopposed. They are Mrs Abena Osei-Asare, MP for Atiwa East and Deputy Finance Minister, and Mrs Nana Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, MP Akropong, and a Deputy Information Minister.
However, Mrs Gifty Twum-Ampofo, Abuakwa North MP and Deputy Minister of Education, and Mrs Mercy Adu-Gyamfi, MP of Akwatia, are being contested.
The other women contesting are Nana Serwaa Acheampong, Abuakwa North, Ida Adjoa Asiedu and Josephine Awuku Ansaa, Ayensuano, Gifty Klenam, Lower West Akim, Joyce Opoku Boateng, Nkawkaw, and Afia Kyerewaa Nyantakyi, Nsawam-Adoagyiri.
Ten others going unopposed are Daniel Botwe, Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, Okere; Joseph Tetteh, former Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Upper Manya Krobo; Bryan Acheampong, Minister of State, Abetifi; George Kwame Aboagye, Asene Manso Akroso; and Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Minister of Information, Ofoase-Ayirebi.
The rest are Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, Atiwa West; Samuel Atta-Akyea, Minister of Works and Housing, Abuakwa South; Kwabena Amankwah Asiamah, Fanteakwa North; and Osei Frimpong, Abirem.
Nkawkaw has the highest number of contestants going to battle out with Eric Kwakye-Darfuor, the sitting MP, who is also the Eastern Regional Minister.
They are Kwabena Okerchiri, former MP, Seth Baah, popularly known as Shaba, David Asante, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Publishing, Joseph Frimpong, and Mrs Joyce Boateng, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Middle Belt Development Authority.
The New Juaben South and North are seeing a replay of the 2016 primary where the same aspirants, Mark Assibey-Yeboah, incumbent and Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, faces Michael Okyere Baafi, Chief Executive Officer of the Free Zones Board, for the New Juaben South seat, while Nana Kwasi Adjei-Boateng, incumbent and Deputy Local Government Minister, would face Sampson Kwasi Annor for New Juaben North.
Ms Gifty Klenam, a former Member of Parliament for Lower West Akyem and former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, is battling it out with Charles Acheampong, Kwabena Sintim-Aboagye, a former District Chief Executive, Kwabena Nkansah Asamoah, and Kwadwo Odame Antwi.
Ms Mercy Adu-Gyamfi, popularly known as Ama Sey, faces three men; Bernard Owiredu Donkor, Ernest Kumi, and Robert Boateng Ampretwum for the Akwatia seat while Frank Annor Dompreh incumbent is facing David Adu-Tutu and Ms. Afua Kyerewa Nyantakyi for the Nsawam-Adoagyiri seat.
Samuel Aye-Paye, incumbent MP for Ayensuano, is battling it out with three others; Ms Adwoa Asiedua, Ms Josephine Awuku Ansaa, and Mark Tetteh Reindorf.