The Member of Parliament for Shama, Erickson Abekah, may lose his chance to vote in the New Patriotic Party’s ongoing presidential primary as his name is not in the party’s voters album in his constituency.
He was thus asked to step aside for others whose name are on the list to cast their ballots.
As of 9:30 am, 215 candidates had already cast their votes out of the 661 expected delegates in Shama.
Although electoral officials are still trying to find a way for the MP to cast his vote, the legislator told Citi News that he is ready to forfeit his vote due to the error, for a peaceful exercise and the unity of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“It is a minor procedural error, and I am sure it will soon be corrected because those eligible to vote include all members of parliament, and as the MP, I am entitled to vote.
I am entitled to vote, but if, for one or two reasons, I am unable to vote, that will be a significant sacrifice for the unity and love of our party. However, I am confident that before the polls come to an end, I will have the opportunity to vote.”
There are reports that a number of Members of Parliament as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) also can’t find their names in the NPP’s album list.
While responding to the concerns in a Citi News interview, General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Frimpong Kodua, said the party had written to the Electoral Commission to allow MPs and MMDCEs whose names are not in the album list in their respective constituency to vote.