The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, says there should be little motivation for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to contest a future parliamentary by-election in Ayawaso East following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament.
According to him, electoral precedents suggest that when a constituency is overwhelmingly dominated by one political party, allowing the party to go unopposed can help maintain peace and stability, as seen in the case of the Tamale Central by-election in 2025.
Speaking on TV3 and monitored by NewsDesksGH on January 5, the Tamale North MP, who also serves as Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, pointed to the decision by the NPP not to contest the Tamale Central seat.
This by-election was as a result of the sudden death of the incumbent MP, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, in the tragic helicopter crash on August 6, 2025.
A parliamentary by-election was subsequently scheduled for Tamale Central, where Professor Alidu Seidu Mahama was officially declared Member of Parliament-elect on September 23, 2025, after running unopposed.
“It was obvious then, because Tamale Central was won by the NDC in the last election by about 75%. In the case of Honourable Naser too, he won by over 70%,” Hon. Suhuyini said.
“On that basis, I’m saying that perhaps there should be no motivation for the NPP to want to contest this,” he added.
Mr. Suhuyini noted that the decision by the NPP to stay away from the Tamale Central contest contributed to a peaceful electoral process.
“When they didn’t contest in Tamale Central, it was so peaceful. It passed without any incident, the NDC did its primaries, chose its candidate, Electoral Commission declared the winner on the election day and we had Prof sworn in,” he recalled.
However, he was careful to acknowledge that political dynamics can differ from one constituency to another.
He noted that while the circumstances surrounding Ayawaso East may be similar in terms of voting patterns, “two elections are not the same.”
His comments come following the passing of the sitting NDC MP for Ayawaso East, Hon. Naser Toure Mahama, who died on January 4 after a short illness.
