The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has elected Prof. Alidu Seidu, Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission, as its parliamentary candidate for the Tamale Central by-election scheduled for September 30.
He emerged victorious in a keenly contested primary, held at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, by securing 840 out of a total of 1,511 votes cast.
Out of 12 aspirants, Prof. Seidu’s closest contender, Abdul Hannan Gundado, polled 536 votes.
The primary was supervised by national and regional executives, with security deployments of about 400 personnel to maintain order.
The by-election follows the sudden demise of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who lost his life in a tragic helicopter crash on August 6 alongside seven others.
Out of respect for his memory, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced it will not participate in the by-election.
Election officials expressed satisfaction with the process, noting that despite a late start, voting closed as scheduled at 2 p.m.
Deputy National Communication Director of the NDC, Ako Gunn, described the exercise as transparent, adding, “At the end of the day, we expect all the other 11 aspirants to rally behind the winner.”
About Prof. Alidu Seidu
Prof. Alidu Seidu is a distinguished academic and political scientist with an extensive career in political science and governance.
He serves as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science and is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for Asian Studies.
In 2014, he was a Donahue Institute Scholar on U.S. Political Thought at the University of Massachusetts, further broadening his international exposure.
With a career spanning research, teaching, and consultancy, Prof. Seidu has worked with top international institutions and policy think tanks including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, and the Varieties of Democracy Project at the University of Gothenburg.
He has served as a Donahue Institute Scholar at the University of Massachusetts and a MIASA Fellow on Parliaments and Democracy in Africa.
His visiting lectureships across universities in Lagos, Ibadan, Dar-es-Salam, Nairobi, and Botswana further highlight his influence on public policy education across Africa.
Prof. Seidu has authored several peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, publishing in respected journals such as Peace Review, Transitional Justice Review, Contemporary Journal of African Development, and Ghana Studies.
His research interests cover transitional justice, reconciliation, electoral politics, democratization, governance, and the political economy of social protection in Africa.
As he steps into frontline politics, he brings with him an extensive background in conflict resolution, governance, and policymaking that is expected to shape his approach to parliamentary leadership.
