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Youth in the Navrongo Central constituency of the Upper East Region are calling on Dr. Raymond Ayilu, an economist and youth leader, to contest in the upcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries with the hope of winning the seat for the party in the 2024 general elections. The NPP held the Navrongo Central seat from 2000 to 2016 and then lost to Sampson Tangombu, the candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2020 general elections.
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Dr. Ayilu has confirmed his readiness to listen to the call of the youth. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Technology Sydney, a Master of Philosophy from the University of Ghana, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) in Economics from the University of Cape Coast. He hopes to bring unity to the party and win back the Navrongo Central seat for the NPP.
According to the NPP party, nominations for orphan constituencies, including Navrongo Central, would be opened on June 16, 2023, with elections scheduled from August 1 to December 2, 2023. Dr. Ayilu’s decision to contest in the primaries will depend on his consultation with party stakeholders and supporters in the constituency.
The NPP lost the Navrongo Central seat in 2020 due to division among supporters of former MP and Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, and the NPP parliamentary candidate for 2020 and former Upper East Regional Minister, Abayage Tangoba. With the call for Dr. Ayilu to contest, the youth hopes that his candidacy will bring unity and cooperation among party members, leading to a successful win in the 2024 general elections.
Dr. Ayilu has several years of experience as a researcher, lecturer, and consultant for various organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He has also held positions as a committee member, coordinator, and executive in several other organizations. He is a development economist by training, a skilled lobbyist, and an experienced youth leader. During his days as a student leader, he served as President of the Graduate Student Association of Ghana (GRASAG), PRO of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), and President of the Association of Economics Students at the University of Cape Coast.
Dr. Ayilu has been a strong member of the NPP student and youth wing and contributed immensely to the party’s victory in the 2016 general election. During the first term of the NPP government, he was appointed a special assistant at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources. At the Ministry, he worked closely with the late MP for Navrongo, Joseph Kofi Adda, in securing funding for the Tono water project, among other initiatives, which is now serving several Navrongo constituency communities.
The Navrongo Central constituency is keenly contested, and Dr. Ayilu’s candidacy could significantly improve the NPP’s chances of winning the seat in the 2024 general elections. As the nomination for the parliamentary primaries approaches, all eyes will be on Dr. Ayilu and the NPP as they prepare to recapture the Navrongo Central seat.
