Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Savannah Regional, Alhaji Sulemana Iddrisu also known as Professor Kalamonia has declared his intention to seek re-election for the position, promising to ensure absolute victory for the party at the 2024 general elections.
His decision to seek re-election in the upcoming regional elections is born out of the belief that evidentially he had fulfilled the critical promise to win some Parliamentary seats for the NPP in the last polls.
In a statement, he admitted that the 2024 elections will be an arduous task, for which reason he should be retained to accomplish his unfinished agenda.
He emphasized that his utmost objective and responsibility is to lead the NPP to convincingly “Break the 8” years electoral cycle.
According to Alhaji Sulemana Iddrisu, he was a new entrant into the 2020 general elections as Regional Chairman but succeeded in breaking down the NDC’s monopoly of Gonjaland at previous elections.
He attributed the 2020 victory to the hard work of NPP leadership at all levels and commended government appointees in the region for their unflinching support.
“Upon assumption of office as Regional Chairman, within one and half years, we went to elections and came out with three solid seats. This was as a result of the leadership we provided with the support of you my respected Constituency Executives, Government Appointees and the grassroots of our party in the region.”
“All of us worked very hard to change the narrative in a region that our President and then flag-bearer, Nana Addo Dankuah Akufo-Addo, described as a “Lion Den” not just because it was considered as NDC strong hold, but the constituency of the NDC flag-bearer.”
He added that, “The result of my leadership and hard work is that, our party garnered 80,605 votes out of a total of 229,085, representing 35.19% of the valid votes cast. As that was not enough, we increased our Parliamentary seats from one (1) to three (3). This is, indeed, unprecedented in the history of our party in the region.”
“It is an undeniable fact that my region is one and only one region that went beyond the expectations of many in our party. At various fora before the elections, this region was targeted below our current status by the National Party. But we worked against all odds to achieve our current feat.”
Flashback
From 2008 to the 2016 general elections, the NPP performed abysmally in Gonjaland and Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana’s administration changed the dynamics in 2020.
Without winning a single Parliamentary seat in 2012, the NPP secured 54, 425 votes out of a total of 157,694 in the Presidential election, which represented 33% of the total votes cast.
Then, in the 2016 Presidential election, the NPP garnered 55,485 votes out of a total of 166,303 valid votes cast and managed to win only the Salaga South Constituency.
In 2020, the party’s Regional team, led by Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana alias Professor Kalamonia snatched three traditional Parliamentary seats from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In addition to winning the Damongo, Daboya/Mankarigu and Salaga North East Parliamentary seats, the NPP appreciated in Presidential votes.
Winning three Parliamentary seats in the Savannah Region undoubtedly contributed to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP’s) narrow escape from electoral defeat at the 2020 general elections.
Based on his team’s stellar performance at the 2020 polls, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana is seeking reelection to consolidate the NPP’s electoral fortunes in the region.
Profile
In 2019, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana alias Professor Kalamonia was overwhelmingly elected at the Regional Delegates Conference and secured a resounding victory of 70.4% of the total valid votes cast.
He is a business tycoon and the first ever Regional Chairman of the newly created Savannah Region.
He operates the largest photo studio in Northern Ghana, and he is also into commercial transport business.
He is a native of Daboya, capital of the North Gonja district. His political journey started during his secondary school days.
By King Saha Abdullah