The New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the weekend held parliamentary primaries in the 111 “orphan constituencies” across the country where it did not have sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect candidates for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
The exercise, which was supervised by the Electoral Commission, was largely peaceful despite reports of chaos which nearly marred the voting process in some of the constituencies such as Adentan and Okaikwei North in Accra.
The Ghanaian Times observed a huge police presence at some of the voting centres in the various constituencies in Accra which contributed to the smooth running of the exercise.
Also, delegates were required to leave their phones before they were allowed entry into the voting booth.
The results and subsequent victory of some well-known members of the party including Dr Okoe Boye, Eugene Arhin, Akosua Manu, Pius Enam Hadzide who annexed the Ledzokuku, Awutu Senya West, Adentan, Asuogyaman constituencies respectively did not come as a shock considering that some pollsters named them clear favourites.
The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority, Bernard Okoe Boye, won the Ledzokuku Constituency primary.
He polled 901, while Nii Ashitey Ollennu had 357 while Ibrahim Adjei had 180 votes.
In the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu popularly known as Kozie polled 814 votes, while Kwasi Fosu had 638 and Winifred Nartey garnered 18 votes.
The Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin, won the Awutu Senya West parliamentary primary. He polled 862 votes while his contender Kofi Opei Okai got 119 votes.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Pius Enam Hadzide, won the Asuogyaman parliamentary primary with 423 votes.
He beat three other contenders including Paul Ansah who polled 131 votes, Michael Ansah also polled 113 and Nana Abrokwa Asare secured 95 votes.
Two-time candidate, Nii Lante Bannerman lost the Odododiodio parliamentary primary to Abdul Manaf Nii Adjei Sowah, who had 737 votes. Nii Lante Bannerman was able to secure 524 votes.
In the Klottey Korle Constituency, Nii Noi Nortey won the parliamentary primary with 838 votes.
Other aspirants, including Harold Quartey, polled 116 votes while Rexford Oppong got 94 votes.
In Ablekuma Central, Presidential Staffer at the Jubilee House, Jefferson Sackey, polled 539 votes while Ebenezer Nartey had 441 votes, Collins Amoah got 493 votes and Larry Anyetei Adjei 11 votes.
The former Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah -Adjei also won the Okaikwei North parliamentary primaries with 341 votes.
Six others who contested her including Ken Kuranchie polled 27, Prince Owusu Mensah, six votes, Akoto Alberta Afia Asomaniwa, 228, and Nyarko Stephen Adipa,108 votes while Fuseini Issah, the former MP for the area had 114.
Ken Afedzi, reports from the Ashaiman Constituency that an educationist, Justice King Essel, garnered 849 votes to beat the two-time NPP parliamentary candidate, Alhaji Labaran Yakubu who had 514 and the third contender Thomas Abotibala Adongo, 97 votes.
At Kpone-Katamanso constituency, William Ofosu Asante polled 709 against the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Chief Executive, Samuel Okoe Amanquah, who had 454 and seven rejected ballots after the voting exercise.
Benjamin Nargeh emerged victorious with 283 votes over his two contenders Jonas Opata and Awatey Kwesi Noah who had 180 and 148 respectively while the fourth contender, Archibald Tawiah secured 64 votes.
At Prampram, the Ningo-Prampram District Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Michael Tetteh Eku, had 410 to beat his closest contender, Patricia Abena Nartey Kumoji who polled 324 and John Matse Akwetey, 148.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
