Election 2024: NDC agent objects to Okaikwei South MP serving as NPP agent

An agent of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) raised an objection against the Member of Parliament for Okaikwei South, Dakoa Newman, in the early hours of Monday’s Special Voting exercise.

Ahead of the December 7, 2024, presidential and parliamentary elections, the Electoral Commission of Ghana is conducting a Special Voting exercise for members of the media, security services, and officers of the Commission.

In the early hours of Monday, December 2, 2024, an NDC agent at the Kaneshie Police Station Polling Station A raised an objection to the MP for the area acting as an agent of her party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The objection, which seemed to have escalated into a confrontation, was immediately quelled by the presiding electoral officer, who explained that the MP is duly accredited and allowed by law to monitor the election as a polling agent.

Speaking to GhanaWeb TV’s George Ayisi in an interview, the MP, who expressed confidence in the progress of the election so far, was quick to add that the objection to her role as an agent forms part of the opposition’s attempt to create confusion.

“I am the party’s agent, so they cannot protest. Per the law, we are allowed to have two agents here, so they cannot decide who the party fields as an agent. It’s normal for them to create confusion out of nothing. To say you don’t know that someone is a party agent when the card clearly shows it is quite worrying, but it’s expected,” she stated.

She expressed confidence in retaining the Okaikwei South parliamentary seat and in the NPP presidential candidate, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, winning the presidential election on December 7.

She justified her decision to represent her party as an agent by emphasising the need for vigilance during the election process.

“I am a party member, and so as a polling agent, I am here to protect the party’s interest. Who is better to protect the party’s interest than the party’s candidate? So that’s why I am here. In 2020, I was the party’s candidate,” she stated.

The Special Voting exercise was initially scheduled to take place across 328 centers nationwide, but it has been rescheduled for voters in the Western and Eastern regions following the recall of ballots for the two regions.

As a result, the Special Voting exercise in the Western and Eastern regions has been postponed to Thursday, December 5, 2024.

The Special Voting exercise allows eligible voters involved in election-related duties, including election officials, security personnel, and media practitioners, to cast their ballots early.

A total of 131,478 voters, representing 0.007 percent of the total registered voter population of 18,741,159, are expected to participate in the Special Voting exercise.

Monday’s exercise began at 0700 hours and is expected to end at 1700 hours.

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