Former Chief Executive Officer of DKM Diamond Micro Finance Ltd and NPP activist, Martin K. Delle, has publicly urged former Nandom MP Ambrose Dery to abandon plans to return to parliamentary politics, arguing that younger party members should be given the opportunity to lead the NPP into the 2028 elections.
Mr Delle, who has been a known ally of Mr Dery, made the call in a social media post following the former MP’s announcement that he would contest the NPP parliamentary primaries in Nandom.
“Hon. Ambrose Dery, please hold on. We are the young guys, please, please,” Mr Delle wrote.
Mr Delle’s intervention adds a new dimension to an increasingly competitive NPP parliamentary race in Nandom, where the party is seeking to reclaim the seat lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 general elections.
Mr Dery, who represented Nandom in Parliament for several terms, announced on Nandom FM on Tuesday, August 11, that he would seek the NPP’s nomination again, ending months of speculation over his political future.
His decision followed earlier indications that he would not seek another term. During an “Accounting to the People” programme in Tamale ahead of the 2024 elections, Mr Dery indicated that he would not seek another mandate. He has now said he accepted calls from constituents to return to the contest.
Mr Delle has, meanwhile, been stepping up his constituency engagements in recent months, with his foundation organising free health screening and treatment programmes for residents ahead of the NPP’s parliamentary primaries.
He is also understood to have been the first of the emerging aspirants to publicly signal an intention to contest the NPP parliamentary nomination, having erected signposts across Nandom announcing his bid in 2025.
Private legal practitioner Lawyer Sylvester Isang is also set to formally declare his intention on Thursday, August 13, at noon. He announced the declaration on Facebook, saying the event would be transmitted live.
Lawyer Isang, a leading Nandom NPP figure and Master of Chambers at Isang@Law Chambers in Tamale, brings a background spanning teaching, development work and law. He holds a Teacher’s Certificate from Tamale Training College, a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Ghana, an LLB from KNUST and an MSc in Development and Sustainability.
He was previously a member and active supporter of the NDC before joining the NPP and has since emerged as a prominent figure in the Nandom constituency.
Former Deputy CEO of the Social Investment Fund and NPP figure Alois Mohl is also expected to contest when nominations open. Mr Mohl previously served at the party’s national level and attempted to challenge Mr Dery in the 2023 NPP parliamentary primaries but was disqualified during the vetting process.
With Mr Dery’s comeback, Mr Delle’s campaign, Mr Mohl’s expected candidature and Lawyer Isang’s impending declaration, the Nandom NPP primary is shaping up to be a closely watched contest.
The emerging race is also highlighting a broader debate within the constituency party over continuity, succession and the role of a younger generation in determining the NPP’s next parliamentary candidate.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
