Voting - Techiman

The usual brisk business in the Techiman Municipality was absent on Sunday morning, as eligible voters trooped from their houses to queue as early as 0330 hours at their various polling stations to exercise their franchise.

By 0700 hours, when polling started, there were long queues, with voters waiting for their turn to cast their votes. As at 0930 hours GNA had visited 15 out of 72 polling stations in the Techiman North constituency and 20 out of the 99 in the South. Some of the polling stations visited in the North constituency, included the Presbyterian Primary at Pampaso electoral area, CMB shed at Pompoase electoral area, Tanoboase Presbyterian Primary as well as L/A Upper primary at Jama Tenponi, where Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways and NPP Parliamentary candidate cast his vote.

Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi, who was the 64th person to vote, just after his 78 year-old mother, Obaa Panin Comfort Yaa Henewaa had done so. He expressed optimism of winning this time around "because the amount and volume of work I have done are enough to see me through". At Tuobodom CMB shed polling station, Madam Ama Kwaa, 122, who appeared physically weak was assisted by the Presiding Officer, Mr. Dennis Owusu, to vote.

At Godbless Preparatory in Konimase electoral area of Techiman South constituency, Mr Elvis Sadango, Assistant Superintendent of Police and leader of the Rapid Support Group, said they managed to restore order when some voters refused to queue resulting in a commotion. Mr John Owusu Mensah, presiding officer said the commotion was caused by the late arrival of the security personnel at the polling station.

In Sunyani, Mr Ofori Pawiah, Sunyani Municipal EC Director, told the GNA at the Stadium Primary School polling station that presiding officers, who delayed in reporting at post, had been replaced by the Commission. He explained that the position of a presiding officer is an important one as he or she represented the EC at the station to ensure that the right procedures were followed. "The absence of a presiding officer at any polling station will be a problem and there could be confusion if he or she is not available to address petty issues", he added. At Berlin Top polling station with registration number G062105, voting was delayed for about 35 minutes because the presiding officer was absent. Some of the electorate reported to the EC and he was replaced before polling started, There the GNA was told that 27 out of 6,383 registered voters had voted as at 0815 hours. At the Bankers Cooperative polling station, the presiding officer, Mr Kwame Bismark, said the only problem they had encountered was that the space for the NDC Presidential candidate had mistakenly been marked by a printing error making it look like the booklet had been used already. The problem was referred to the EC and whole booklet was changed, he said, adding voters who had ID cards but whose particulars were omitted from the voters register were allowed to vote. At Dormaa Ahenkro, voting began peacefully at 0700 hours in all 195 polling stations, where nearly 100,000 eligible voters were expected to cast their votes.

The Dormaa West and Dormaa East constituencies have 130 and 65 polling stations respectively. In an interview with the GNA on Sunday, the Dormaa Municipal electoral officer, Mr Seth Amankwaa, said the Electoral Commission had dispatched sufficient election materials and personnel to the polling stations in both constituencies. The Dormaa Municipal police commander, Superintendent Mohammed Ali, told the GNA enough security personnel had been dispatched to the polling stations to maintain peace and order. Osagyefo Oseadeayo Agyemang-Badu II, Omanhene of the Dormaa traditional area and the Queen mother Nana Fima Dwabena II cast their votes at exactly 0810 hours at the Dormaa community centre polling station whilst parliamentary aspirants voted at their respective polling stations. Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang-Badu lauded the smooth and peaceful beginning of the voting process and expressed the hope that both voters and electoral staff would maintain order at the polls. Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, NPP parliamentary candidate for Dormaa West and Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and PSI voted at 0750 hours at the Roman Catholic Primary Upper polling station. He advised his supporters to ignore the 'skirt and blouse' trend and vote for Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo "to ensure a solid pair in governance".

The NDC candidate, Mr. Vincent Oppong Asamoah, cast his vote at the Dormaa SHS polling station whilst the DFP candidate, Mr Lawrence Yeboah Kyeremeh voted at Kofiafua polling station. At Dagadu, voting started around 0815 hours due to the late arrival of elections materials at the Dagadu L/A Primary school polling station in the Tain constituency.

Out of the 618 registered voters, 253 had voted as at 1200 hours. Mr. Samuel Asante, Presiding officer, told the GNA that no incident had been recorded and that only NPP and NDC had their agents at the station.

A total of 48,380 registered voters are expected to cast their votes in the Nkoranza South constituency at 119 polling stations, whilst 26,348 voters at 59 polling centres are expected to vote in Nkoranza North constituency.

Major Derek Oduro (rtd), NPP MP for Nkoranza North voted at Dromankese Anglican JHS polling station at 1045 hours whilst Mr Kwame Ampofo-Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Energy and MP for Nkoranza South voted at the Nkwabeng Local JHS polling station at 1000 hours. Okatakyie Agyemang Kudom II, Omanhene of Nkoranza and Nana Yaa Dudaakani, Queen mother, voted at Nkoranza Effah JHS polling station in the South constituency.