The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will conduct constituency primaries for parliamentary aspirants in the northern sector of the country on Saturday, November 19, 2011. The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Joseph Yamin, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in an interview said, “In the Ashanti Region, 77 out of the 80 who came for the vetting got the nod to contest the primaries. He said only three of the aspirants were disqualified. Mr Yamin disclosed that four out of eight of the aspirants who went unopposed were District Chief Executives and they are Degraft Forku, Asante-Akim South; Edward Ayarkwa, Sekyere South; Mr Ebenezer Akuoko-Frimpong, Nsuta-Kwamang and Alexander Ackon, Obuasi. He also said the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, and the Minister of Energy, or Joe Oteng-Adjei, also went unopposed to contest the seats in the Atwima-Mponua and Bosomtwe constituencies, respectively. The three disqualified persons, Mr Yamin said, were from Asante-Akim North, Ahafo-Ano South and Nyiaeso in the Kumasi Metropolis. The Regional Secretary however, disclosed that though the party had not fixed a date for the primaries for the sitting MPs, it would be done after all the primaries in the orphaned constituencies had been conducted. He noted that now that the grounds were set for the campaign, candidates should refrain from using abusive language, insults, tribalism and gender issues. Mr Yamin also cautioned the aspirants to desist from using FONKAR and GAME issues which had no place in the impending parliamentary primaries. He cautioned that any of the aspirants who would be seen campaigning on issues relating to the two groups would be sanctioned severely.