Discussing the current state of Parliament on Joy News’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 26, Gary said, “For me, if you go into a primary and you lose, then decide that having lost the election, you want to run as an independent candidate against the party’s nominated candidate, to me, it’s unfair.”

He believes that running as an independent candidate will not help the NPP and the government, and that is contributing to the ongoing issues regarding vacant seats in Parliament.

Gary does not understand why aggrieved MPs would choose to run independently after everyone had the opportunity to contest in the 2024 primaries of the party without intimidation.

He noted that only one case had been taken to court regarding the primaries, emphasizing that everyone had the chance to participate.

totalling“We have been conducting primaries in the party, and after the primaries, we often face litigation in court, with several cases sometimes totaling 46 or even 30. In fact, this year was the only time that the party held primaries with only one case in court. Everybody who participated in these primaries was given the full opportunity to take part freely,” he said.

Gary expressed his disappointment with the NPP MPs who announced their intention to contest the election as independent candidates.

“It is not right, it is very very wrong, but that doesn’t mean that they also don’t have the right to stay in Parliament,” he stressed out.

There’s a stand-off in Parliament over the composition of both sides of the house after the Speaker declared four seats vacant because the MPs crossed the carpet to contest the 2024 election as independent candidates.

The Speaker’s ruling however hangs in the balance following a Supreme Court order. The Speaker has since adjourned parliament indefinitely after MPs returned to the house and disagreed over who forms the majority.

ALSO READ:

Desperation for political power; the case of sitting MPs on running…

Bagbin must respect SC’s ruling on 4 MPs; doing otherwise will…

According to him, former Member of Parliament, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, who is also competing for the Asante Akim North seat, has lost his strength, and he won’t be able to garner votes in the primaries.

Mr. Kwarteng stated emphatically that, the former MP who served only one term in Parliament, didn’t do well for the constituency.

“Kwadwo Baah Agyemang’s strength is now down in the constituency, and it will be difficult for him to capture the hearts of his people again. He had the opportunity but didn’t appreciate it, and that is why he was booted out,” he said on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday.

When asked by the show host if the contest is now between him and Andy Appiah-Kubi, who currently holds the seat, he said the incumbent MP was not fair to the people as he brings so much emotion to the job.

To him, if he doesn’t win the primaries, a lot of the youth and children will continue to be in misery as the MP has neglected them.

The parliamentary aspirant said out of 600 delegates, he has visited 550 people one on one for the campaign as he believes his hard work will pay off on January 27, 2024.

Kwasi Kwarteng is competing against four others— the incumbent Member of Parliament, Andy Appiah-Kubi, former MP Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, and two others.

NPP parliamentary primaries: Kwadwo Baah Agyemang confident of victory

NPP parliamentary primaries: Kwadwo Baah Agyemang files nomination

Kwasi Kwarteng joins NPP Asante Akyem North parliamentary race

Kwasi Kwarteng takes early lead in Asante Akyem North parliamentary race

The national leadership of the NDC announced through its General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey on Tuesday, May 16,2023, after the party’s Functional Executive committee probed the dispute.

There was misunderstanding on Saturday between Edem Agbana and his contender, John Adanu Zewu after a tie.

The vociferous former National Youth Organiser was declared the winner by just a vote, but after two recounts upon the request of his opponent, the Electoral Commission established that three ballot papers had not been stamped.

It emerged later that two out of the three unstamped ballots were cast in favour of Edem Agbana, and one in favour of John Adanu.

Despite this, Mr Agbana insisted that he had won with 360 votes against his opponent’s 359 votes although the EC did not declare him winner.

There had been reports suggesting a possible rerun of the polls in that constituency, but the NDC at a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, delivered a verdict on who the legitimate winner was.

The General Secretary, Mr Kwetey explained that the said unstamped ballot papers were part of the original ballot booklet provided by the party and so there was no over-voting.

“By and large, we got a consensus coming across the table that the ballot papers [in question] were an integral part of the booklet of ballots that came from the national office that went to that constituency. And therefore they were not foreign materials. We also checked and saw that there was no over-voting. The tallying process done by the agents of the candidates tallied with all the ballot papers found in the ballot box.

“These for us were the pieces of information we wanted to ascertain. So the ballot papers were authentic… Following this, we are of the position that, the will that the voters expressed is the authentic will of the people. That original result had candidate Edem Agbana having 360 votes, followed very closely by candidate John Adanu who had 359. Very close as it was, we had to go by the will of the people of Ketu North.”

“So we want to tell you that, at the end of the day, the committee headed by the National Chairman of the NDC, aided by my own self…that the will of Ketu North was that Edem Agbana was the one that won the most number of votes on the day. Even though it was that close, Edem Agbana will be declared the winner,” Mr Kwetey noted.

They have served notice of petitioning the party’s regional leadership to annul the MP’s landslide victory they say was preceded by irregularities and foul-play in the poll.

The supporters allege Dr Ayew Afriyie conspired with constituency executives to delete their names from the delegate album to disenfranchise them.

The agitated supporters are mainly polling station executives behind one of the candidates, Kwame Adom-Appiah, in a two-horse race.

The election was nearly marred by incidents of ballot-snatching and physical assault of another contestant and his agents.

Kwame Adom-Appiah sustained injuries after being attacked allegedly  some military personnel.

He was admitted at the Emergency Unit of the Effiduase Government Hospital during the primaries.

Mr. Adom-Appiah’s supporters, including former MP, Boakye Agyin, accused Dr. Ayew Afriyie of orchestrating the attacks.

About 20 of them did not find their names in the constituency’s album. One of them is Agyei Stephen, Secretary of Effiduase District Court polling station.

“They told me that the name that appears there is not my name; it’s somebody’s name. That is, Agyei Serwaa. Meanwhile  I am the polling station secretary. 

They have changed the name, Agyei Stephen and it has become Agyei Serwaa,” he said.

For Emmanuel Amo,  an elected polling station organiser for the Effiduase Methodist Primary School ‘A’, the alleged plot to disenfranchise especially members of Adom-Appiah’s campaign team was conceived by the MP from day one.

“The MP keeps on saying that he has 90 per cent of the total votes and then the lawyer has 10% not knowing that he has tempered with the register and then changed all our names,” Mr Amo lamented.

The supporters want the Ashanti regional executives to act on their petition.

“Our petition is at the regional secretariat so we will make follow-ups. I can bet with my last coin, the incumbent MP can never win this election  if the election has been conducted freely and fairly,”  says Amo Emmanuel, polling station executive.

For former MP Boakye Agyin, he blames the current development in on the constituency executives who have connived with the Member of Parliament.

“Party executives have not managed the affairs well to culminate into this situation, of course, I am not afraid to say that. It favours the incumbent MP.”

The MP who denied allegations went ahead to win 80 per cent of votes cast to the delight of his followers.

” I don’t have an idea of why my people couldn’t find their names and why about 7 or 10 of his people couldn’t find their names in. But that shouldn’t result to picking the album and then when you pick an album and you get arrested, then your followers come to forcefully to rescue you.

So first of all they are trying to undermine the authority of the military and the police trying to bring peace,” he says.

Ashanti Regional Organiser of the NPP, Francis Adomako, admits the incident was a blip on the process, as he calls for unity.

It was a routine win for Philip Basoah and Amma Pomaah Boateng  in Kumawu and Juaben Constituencies, respectively.

Mr. Basoah, a former DCE in the Kuffuor administration, made light work of three other contestants.

They include Deputy Trade Minister, Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, who managed 52 votes.

In Juaben, Amma Pomaah’s sole challenger, Alexander Oppong-Poku,  polled eight votes short of the incumbent’s 192 votes.

The two however commit promised to working together for NPP victory.

Some supporters of the party invoked curses on any of the executives who would be part of machinations to push the Member of parliament for the area into unopposed.

Three of them, all polling station executives at Damang Electoral Area in Juaben have since been suspended.

They are Amoah Boateng, Ransford Osei and Thomas Owusu.

NADMO Coordinator, Nana Agyemang Prempeh, who supervised the exercise is happy about the outcome.

He says it is a sign of unity and cohesion in the governing party.

“Today nothing happened here so the entire country as far as NPP is concerned is united. There’s unity,” Nana said.

The supplementary primaries will take place in 25 more constituencies across four regions to elect candidates for the 2020 general election.

ALSO READ: Audio: We have been dumped –Defunct NPP Delta Force members cry out

The decision to hold the elections was arrived at on Tuesday by the party’s Functional Executive Committee.

The Eastern Region will hold primaries in seven constituencies including Achiase, Asene Manso Akroso, Ofoase Ayirebi, Akwatia, Akuapem South, Okere and New Juabeng South

With the Ashanti Region expected to hold polls in 14 constituencies including Fomena, Odotobri, Manhyia South, Nhyiaeso, Asokwa, Manhyia North, Tafo, Atwima Mponua, Atwima Kwanwoma, Afigya Kwabre South, Mampong, Manso Nkwanta, Suame and Kwadaso constituencies.

ALSO READ: Y’asem Nie: Why work and pay taxi drivers lose their cars

The Central Region will hold primaries in Effutu, Upper Denkyira West and Awutu-Senya East and Esikado Ketan in the Western region.

Source: Adomonline.com

According to him, the funds were spent on things such as feeding and transportation of delegates, as well as the purchase of fuel for campaigns.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, Monitored by Adomonline.com, Mr Sosu said “for now, I can’t say for a fact but I’m sure it should be somewhere over GH¢300,000.00. That is from somewhere July 2018 till now. It may be more, I am yet to reconcile.

ALSO: Audio: Leading campaigns with one’s own team cheaper – Fmr NDC MP

“Generally, the key elements include posters, branch visitations and most likely you would have to convey them; cost of transportation, feeding, cost of buying fuel for your team and sometimes petty requests coming from delegates; you take care of medical bills, school bills and so on,” the human rights lawyer added.

To him, he will not describe his gestures as a vote buying strategy but a show of care and love for the people he seeks to lead since the expenditure does not have direct links with the outcome of elections.

ALSO: Audio: Probe resignation of BOST MD…COPEC to govt

“I think it is about showing care, love and concern for the people that you seek to lead. I think vote buying has to do with things that are directly connected with the elections; where you directly give them something to influence the mind of delegates for that purpose,” he stressed.

Mr Sosu emerged winner in the parliamentary primary after he polled 662 votes against his opponents, Sidi Abubakar who polled 480 votes, Ibrahim Faila Fuseini and Haija Rukaya, who had 219 and 16 votes respectively.

Source: Adomonline.com | Gertrude Otchere

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied reports of vote buying in Saturday’s parliamentary primaries.

According to Johnson Asiedu Nketia, such claims are false as the party has measures in place to ensure that such incidents do not happen.

“Such vote buying claims are false. Nothing of that sort happened. In NDC we ensure that matters of vote buying never occur and so Ghanaians should disregard the allegations,” he told Accra based Okay FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

ALSO: NDC Decides: Zanetor Rawlings wins Klottey-Korley primary (Audio)

The NDC held its parliamentary primaries over the weekend ahead of the 2020 elections.

One of the defeated candidates in the Saturday parliamentary primaries of the main opposition NDC, Victoria Hammah, has lamented the influence of money in elections in Africa.

ALSO: Businessman wins Techiman South NDC parliamentary slot

The former Deputy Minister, who lost the Kintampo North contest, said she lost embarrassingly because she refused to bribe delegates.

ALSO: NDC Tema East branch chairman injured over Saturday’s primaries

But, General Mosquito, as he is affectionately called, said the NDC is focused on winning the 2020 elections and “not vote buying.”

Source: Adomonline.com|Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

Below are certified results from the primaries:

Mr. Beyere who is a former health administrator and once head of the Ministry of Health Training Schools’ Secretariat, clinched victory with 655 votes out of 1,537 valid votes cast in the NDC’s parliamentary primary organised on Saturday at Techiman.

He beat five other contestants, including Mr. Agyei Mensah, the immediate past Member of Parliament for the area who obtained 403 votes.

ALSO: Court jails 6 men who flogged boy in viral video, fined GHC1,200 each

The rest were Alhaji Awal Mohammed, a tutor, 244, Mr. Kwaku Agyapong, a businessman. 138, Mr. Amankona Munufie, a Lawyer, 78 and Mr. Mohammed Bugumah, a staff of the Techiman South National Health Insurance Scheme, 19.

Five ballots were rejected to make the total votes 1,542 out a total registered voters of 1, 584 in the election conducted and supervised by the Techiman Municipal Office of the Electoral Commission.

ALSO: 22-yr-old habitual thief returns to jail

The losing candidates pledged their support for Mr. Beyere to be able to recapture the seat for the NDC and announced his readiness to work effectively with all to ensure that their collective effort would not be in vain.

Source: GNA

Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, who is seeking a second chance to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into the 2020 parliamentary election in the Klottey-Korley constituency, says she would be surprised if she does not win the party’s primary.

According to her, she is confident she will retain the seat because the delegates are on her side and there is no need for her to think of losing.

ALSO: Video: NDC Primaries: Two delegates arrested at Sunyani West

Speaking in an interview with Joy News after casting her vote in the constituency, she said in spite of some of the challenges the constituency has faced, the majority of the executives are on her side, so she believes that is what matters.

“I will be very surprised if I don’t win and I don’t think I am expecting any surprises because I believe one’s works must speak for her and we now have a lot of women who feel and understand this is the chance for women to represent us,” she said.

ALSO: Asiedu Nketia discusses NDC’s plans for women and people with disability

Source: Adomonline.com|Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

The allegations were made by some National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates of the Awutu Senya West Constituency in the ongoing primaries.

According to her, her sister was not at Obrachie on Friday but came for a funeral at Bawjiase on Saturday and therefore had nothing to do with her sister’s campaign towards her victory in the contest.

ALSO: Video: NDC Primaries: Check out Rawlings’ answer to who he voted for

“Allegations of Hannah Tetteh buying votes on my behalf are false, she has not shared any gift for delegates,” she clarified in an interview on Adomonline.com. 

Some delegates, who spoke to Adom News after casting their votes, alleged Madam Tetteh was giving out money, clothes and boots to delegates on behalf of her sister, who is contesting to lead the NDC in the constituency going into the 2020 elections.

ALSO: NDC primaries: Hannah Tetteh accused of buying votes on behalf of her sister [Video]

Source: Adomonline.com

Incumbent Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, says his contender, Michael Kwetey Tetteh is politically naïve and needs to be taught politics.

According to him, his opponent’s comments that because he won his chairmanship bid at Ningo-Prampram, he would beat him (Sam George) in the primary is political naivety.

He wants his cousin, Mr Tetteh to prepare for the shock of his life because he is winning the ongoing primary.

ALSO: Video: NDC Primaries: Check out Rawlings’ answer to who he voted for

“He is politically naive. No two elections are the same. It’s like me saying that because I defeated Hon E.T. Mensah in 2015 in the primary, automatically I will win this election.

“Did he contest me to become a constituency chairman? No, if he had contested me, he wouldn’t be a chairman because I would have beaten him mercilessly. He should prepare for the shock of his life,” he told Joy News.

ALSO: NDC elects parliamentary candidates for 2020 elections

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

The delegates, whose names are being withheld, were said to have been arrested for separate misconducts – one, for riding a motorbike carelessly and the other for the possession of a knife.

ALSO READ: Video: NDC Primaries: Check out Rawlings’ answer to who he voted for

Their arrest have been confirmed by the Sunyani West District Police Commander, DSP Francis Numado.

DSP Numado said both suspects were arrested Saturday morning at the Fiapre Presbyterian School where elections were ongoing.

He also confirmed that one of the suspects was riding an unregistered motorbike under the influence of alcohol.

ALSO READ: NDC Primaries: No room for unfair advantage – elections director (Audio)

He said they would be released after the elections.

Source: Adomonline.com|Adom News

Detective Corporal John Evans Ayerakwa-Kumordzi has tendered in his resignation letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu in accordance with the Police Service Act.

The IGP, according to the police detective, approved the resignation of the law enforcer in February 2019.

ALSO: Audio: ‘Dropthatchamber’ soldier should have been dismissed; punishment too lenient – Effah-Dartey

The resignation of the 35-year-old officer comes a few days after a senior police officer, who was also the Executive Secretary of the IGP, Superintendent Peter Lanchene Tuubo retired voluntarily from the service to enable him contest the NDC primary in the Wa West constituency.

READ: Audio: Why I chose politics – IGP’s Executive Secretary reveals

The police corporal has already picked his nomination form to contest for the NDC in the Okere constituency where he has worked for 11 years.

Corporal Ayerawa-Kumordzi, a former Criminal Investigations Department (CID) operative told Joy News’ Kofi Siaw he would win the Okere seat for the NDC.

He was also confident NDC’s flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama would also win the 2020 elections.

READ: Audio: Resigned IGP’s aide’s decision to join politics very dangerous – NPP MP

RELATED: Audio: Resigned IGP’s aide’s decision to join politics very dangerous – NPP MP

He is convinced the former president is more capable of steering the affairs of the country than President Nana Akufo-Addo.

“I have been in the Police Service for eleven years. I joined the Police service in 2008 but I resigned in February this year. Right after the Police Academy I was posted to my constituency so I have worked here for 11 good years. I have been with the people for the past 11 years as a detective. So I have been with the people for a very long time and I know their challenges, so I think this is the right time for me to lead the constituency to help them have better living conditions,” he said.

Source: Ghana | Adomonline.com |Kofi Siaw