NDC parliamentary candidate for the Tamale Central by-election, Prof. Alidu Seidu, has dismissed suggestions that either he or his party influenced the withdrawal of the People’s National Congress (PNC) and Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) candidates from the race.
Seidu stated, “I don’t have a hand in it. No one told me they had negotiated with somebody or something happened. I filed in the morning but I didn’t even know there were candidates.
“I think it was later on around 4pm to 5pm then I heard that two more people have filed from PNC and LPG.”
He added that he could not tell what might have driven their decision to step aside.
“I’m not sure what might have motivated these two candidates who earlier filed to pull out. I have read some of the statement and I think it speaks to same circumstances of Dr. Murtala’s death but also personal reasons.”
Prof. Seidu described the withdrawals as a pragmatic move. “I think it is good so that we save a lot of resources for the country.
“We don’t have to run an election which is very obvious who might win. So, I think it is a good decision and I applaud them looking at the circumstances but also the chances of them winning when we have the election,” he said on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
His comments follow announcements by the PNC and LPG candidates who formally stepped down ahead of the September 30 by-election.
The LPG candidate explained, “After broad consultations and deep reflection, I have decided to withdraw my candidature from the Tamale Central by-election. This is in the best interest of our party and the democratic process.”
Similarly, the PNC candidate declared, “Tamale Central has long been an NDC seat. While we believe in the ideals of the PNC, we must also be realistic and focus our energies where victory is possible. For that reason, I am stepping down.”
