A Former Deputy National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edem Agbana, has been declared winner of parliamentary primaries held on Saturday in the Ketu North Constituency of the Volta Region.
The polls were declared tied between Mr Agbana and a fellow contender, John Zewu, after a recount.
Mr Agbana polled 360 votes to Mr Zewu’s 359 votes but upon recount at behest of the latter, two unstamped ballots were discovered in Mr Agbana’s votes and one in Mr Zewu’s.
But a statement issued by the party in Accra on Tuesday after a special committee constituted to investigate the outcome of the election in the area indicated that Mr Agbana won the poll.
The statement signed by Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC, established that the unstamped ballots by the Electoral Commission were issued by the party’s elections directorate and could not be deemed to be external voting material; a position both candidates agreed to.
The statement also observed that the ballots issued tallied with ballot statistics and that there was no issue of over voting.
“The Committee’s ruling is that it is not fair for the aspirant (Mr Agbana) to suffer sins of the EC because initial result, that saw him having 360 votes and Mr Zewu 359 votes, in the view of the committee, is valid and authentic,” it stressed.
Speaking with the media after the meeting, Mr Kwetey explained that the decision of the committee, headed by Mr Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman of the NDC, was true reflection of will of delegates of Ketu North.
Mr Agbana, apologised to the Volta Regional and constituency executives for statements he made in the heat of the electoral misunderstanding and
apologised on behalf of himself, campaign team and supporters to constituency executives in Ketu North, regional executives, his contender and others who suffered unfortunate remarks in the heat of the controversy.
He also called for unity within the rank and file of the party in the area to ensure NDC won the constituency by 90 per cent in the 2024 general elections.
“I am dedicated to working with John Adanu and his supporters to achieve 95 per cent election turnout in Ketu North with more than 90 per cent of vote cast returning former President John Mahama and NDC to power in 2025.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
