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1st September, 2010
NPP Retains Atiwa Seat
The by-election yesterday at Atiwa in the Eastern region to elect a Member of Parliament ended yesterday with Mr. Kwasi Amoako Attah of NPP emerging the winner.
The Atiwa seat became vacant following the death in London of Mr. Kwasi Annor Ankamah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Robert Ninson, about 1,200 policemen were deployed from the Eastern, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Central regions to beef up security at Atiwa to ensure a peaceful election.
Mr Amoako Atta won the Atiwa by-election by 20,282 votes representing 75 per cent of the total votes cast.
Emmanuel Atta Twum of the NDC polled 6,190 votes representing 23.89 per cent.
Abdul Kassim of the PNC had 94 votes representing 0.35 per cent whilst George Padmore Apraku of the New Vision Party had 477 votes representing 1.76 per cent.
Total valid votes was 27,043. Rejected votes were 497. Total valid votes cast was 27.540 and turnout was 53.31 per cent.
John Nkrumah Boateng, the Atiwa Returning Officer, who declared the results said the total registered voters in the register was 57,658. The election which started at 7am was characterised by accusation and counter accusation from both the ruling NDC and the opposition NPP.
While the NPP accused the NDC of voters intimidation, the NDC also accused the NPP of trying to prevent their supporters from voting.
The National Chairman of the NPP, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, commended the Electoral Commission for a good job done but acused the police for taking sides with the NDC.
He said he had expected the police to have arrested some people he alleged to be NDC supporters who were bussed to the area to cause trouble.
But John Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of NDC, said they were only in the area to prevent multiple voting and not to intimidate anyone.
He commended the police for a good job done. He said it is important to give election results credible image and denied the allegations by the NPP, adding the NPP was peeved because they did not have chance to cheat.
The Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ransford Moses Ninson, said the police did their best to prevent anyone from causing trouble in the area and said reports of any violence will be investigated and action taken.
The winner of the election was, however, not present when the result were declared.
In another development, reports from Citi FM said at least seven people were injured in yesterday’s poll at Abomosu.
The injuries, according to reports occured when the NDC’s National Women’s Organiser Anita De-Souza, run her car over some NPP activists.
Police in Atiwa fired sporadic gunshots and tear gas at about 4:30pm to disperse rampaging youth before the voting ended.
Citi News Eastern Regional Correspondent, Kwame Appiah Kubi reports that confusion erupted at the Presby Junior High School polling center at Abomosu, when a group of NPP youth activists clashed with the Azoka boys of the NDC, who according to them had attempted to rig the elections.
In the process, three of the NPP youth activists sustained severe wounds as they were beaten-up with sharp objects.
The NPP youth activists were reported to have blocked the major road leading to the Abomosu township, which also erupted into another bizarre incident.
Appiah Kubi reports that during the barricade, a car allegedly being driven by the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, and the NDC’s National Women’s Organizer Anita De-Souza, run into the barricade causing severe injuries to four of the youth activists.
According to him, the skirmishes scared away over two hundred potential voters who had turned out to cast their ballot at about 4:30 pm.
Speaking to Citi FM, a member of the NPP, Frances Essiam, alleged that two of the injured NPP activists had died from the incident, and accused Baba Jamal of deliberately running his car into the barrier.
But Mr. Baba Jamal told Citi News that he did not visit the Abomosu township during the voting. He, however, admitted that the NDC’s National Women Organiser Anita De-Souza, run into the barrier apparently because there had been an attempt by the irate youth to break her windscreen.
Mr. Baba Jamal denied Frances Essiam’s claim that two persons had died out of the incident.
The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensa-Bonsu, who also spoke to Citi News from Atiwa also corroborated reports that some seven NPP supporters had been injured and hospitalized. He could however not confirm the supposed deaths of the two NPP activists.
The Atiwa seat became vacant following the death in London of Mr. Kwasi Annor Ankamah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Robert Ninson, about 1,200 policemen were deployed from the Eastern, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Central regions to beef up security at Atiwa to ensure a peaceful election.
Mr Amoako Atta won the Atiwa by-election by 20,282 votes representing 75 per cent of the total votes cast.
Emmanuel Atta Twum of the NDC polled 6,190 votes representing 23.89 per cent.
Abdul Kassim of the PNC had 94 votes representing 0.35 per cent whilst George Padmore Apraku of the New Vision Party had 477 votes representing 1.76 per cent.
Total valid votes was 27,043. Rejected votes were 497. Total valid votes cast was 27.540 and turnout was 53.31 per cent.
John Nkrumah Boateng, the Atiwa Returning Officer, who declared the results said the total registered voters in the register was 57,658. The election which started at 7am was characterised by accusation and counter accusation from both the ruling NDC and the opposition NPP.
While the NPP accused the NDC of voters intimidation, the NDC also accused the NPP of trying to prevent their supporters from voting.
The National Chairman of the NPP, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, commended the Electoral Commission for a good job done but acused the police for taking sides with the NDC.
He said he had expected the police to have arrested some people he alleged to be NDC supporters who were bussed to the area to cause trouble.
But John Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of NDC, said they were only in the area to prevent multiple voting and not to intimidate anyone.
He commended the police for a good job done. He said it is important to give election results credible image and denied the allegations by the NPP, adding the NPP was peeved because they did not have chance to cheat.
The Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ransford Moses Ninson, said the police did their best to prevent anyone from causing trouble in the area and said reports of any violence will be investigated and action taken.
The winner of the election was, however, not present when the result were declared.
In another development, reports from Citi FM said at least seven people were injured in yesterday’s poll at Abomosu.
The injuries, according to reports occured when the NDC’s National Women’s Organiser Anita De-Souza, run her car over some NPP activists.
Police in Atiwa fired sporadic gunshots and tear gas at about 4:30pm to disperse rampaging youth before the voting ended.
Citi News Eastern Regional Correspondent, Kwame Appiah Kubi reports that confusion erupted at the Presby Junior High School polling center at Abomosu, when a group of NPP youth activists clashed with the Azoka boys of the NDC, who according to them had attempted to rig the elections.
In the process, three of the NPP youth activists sustained severe wounds as they were beaten-up with sharp objects.
The NPP youth activists were reported to have blocked the major road leading to the Abomosu township, which also erupted into another bizarre incident.
Appiah Kubi reports that during the barricade, a car allegedly being driven by the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, and the NDC’s National Women’s Organizer Anita De-Souza, run into the barricade causing severe injuries to four of the youth activists.
According to him, the skirmishes scared away over two hundred potential voters who had turned out to cast their ballot at about 4:30 pm.
Speaking to Citi FM, a member of the NPP, Frances Essiam, alleged that two of the injured NPP activists had died from the incident, and accused Baba Jamal of deliberately running his car into the barrier.
But Mr. Baba Jamal told Citi News that he did not visit the Abomosu township during the voting. He, however, admitted that the NDC’s National Women Organiser Anita De-Souza, run into the barrier apparently because there had been an attempt by the irate youth to break her windscreen.
Mr. Baba Jamal denied Frances Essiam’s claim that two persons had died out of the incident.
The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensa-Bonsu, who also spoke to Citi News from Atiwa also corroborated reports that some seven NPP supporters had been injured and hospitalized. He could however not confirm the supposed deaths of the two NPP activists.
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