Kade Lower West Akim, Ofoase/Ayirebi, Abirem and Oda constituencies will witness fierce contests in the forthcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries in the Eastern region, as a record number of prospective candidates have picked forms to contest the seats generally considered as 'safe' for the NPP. At Kade, six prospective candidates including the incumbent MP have picked forms to contest the primaries, while four each have picked forms for Lower West, Ofoase/Ayirebi, Abirem and Oda constituencies. Those who want to contest for the Kade ticket are the incumbent, Ofosu-Asamoah, C.O. Mintah, Ofori Ampofo, Ohene Tenyaase, Obeng Yeboah and Oduro Frimpong, while Lower West Akim has the incumbent, Gifty Klenam, the former DCE, Kwabena Sintim-Aboagye, Stephen Duah and Kofi Appiah Koranteng all ready to vie for the NPP ticket. In New Abirem, which has been one of the controversial constituencies in the region, the incumbent MP, Esther Obeng-Dapaah, still has ambitions of retaining her position, with Grace Omaboe aka Maame Dokono, Osei Frimpong and one Afrifa all coming into the race to vie for the ticket. In Oda, the incumbent, Yaw Owusu-Boakye, William Quaitoo, Augustus Attafuah and Dr Kwarko Puni, have picked forms to contest the primary. The Ofoase/Ayirebi incumbent MP, Oppong-Kusi, Victor Owusu-Ahenkora, Emmanuel Akwasi Asiedu and Samuel Tuffour, have all picked forms. Three former NPP MPs are staging a come-back as they picked forms to contest the current MPs. They are Magnus Opare-Asamoah who would be contesting O.B. Amoah for the Aburi/Nsawam slot; Godfred Otchere who would be contesting Samuel Ayipeh for the Ayensuano slot and J.B. Danquah Adu, who would be contesting Prof Samuel Amoako for the Abuakwa North slot. Four people will be going unopposed. They are Hon Atta Akyea for Abuakwa South, Kwasi Amoako-Atta for Atiwa, Dr Kofi Asare for Akwatia and Jeffery Amaglo Konadu for Afram Plains North. One constituency that will witness another fierce contest is Suhum where the incumbent, Frederick Opare-Ansah, will slug it out with his old 'foe' Bryan Acheampong. Their last primary in 2008 stole the show with the famous '51-51' verdict. Three persons each including the incumbents will be contesting for the New Juaben South, Mpraeso, Akropong, Abetifi and Upper Manya. Fanteakwa, Suhum, Abuakwa North, Aburi/Nsawam, Yilo Krobo, Lower Manya, New Juaben North, Asuagyaman, Okere, Ayensuano, Afram Plains South constituencies and Akim Swedru will have two people each contesting. It is only Nkawkaw constituency that no one was allowed to pick a form because the primary has been put on hold. The incumbent MP there is Seth Adjei Baah popularly called Shaaba, who is an independent candidate but has a soft heart for the Minority NPP. The vice chairman of the party in the region, Alhaji Umar Bodinga, who released the information to the press, said as per the directive by the national executive council, any member who was in good standing and had ambition to contest the primary should not be prevented from doing so. He said the regional party executives would be fair to all contestants. He asked the prospective candidates to conduct a clean campaign. Even though the sale of nomination forms closed on Sunday, March 6, nomination itself will close on March 18. Source: Daily Guide