NDC protest against location of a polling station

A controversy over the location of a polling station at Besoro near Kumawu, nearly marred the otherwise peaceful bye-election in the Kumawu constituency on Tuesday.

Mid-way through the poll, Mr Emmanuel Nti-Fordjour, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), protested against the location of a polling station close to the grave and house of the late Reo Addai Basoah.

He argued that the closeness of the polling station to the late MP's grave and house could influence the poll and should therefore be relocated at a nearby school. At the time of Mr Nti-Fordjour's protest, 203 out of the 558 registered voters at the polling station had cast their votes.

Mr Nti-Fordjour argued that polling at the 2000 general elections was held at the school and saw no reason why it should be changed and insisted that the polling station be relocated to its original place.

However, Mr Samuel Boateng, the Presiding Officer, saw it differently, saying that there was nothing wrong with the location of the polling station. He argued that, that was where polling in the recent district level election was held but nobody raised any objection and therefore saw no reason why an objection was being raised now.

In the end, reason eventually prevailed and the station was relocated at the local authority Junior Secondary School. Meanwhile, the leadership of the various political parties contesting the bye-election has hailed the poll as peaceful and well organised.

Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the NPP, described the poll as smooth and peaceful, a view shared by Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, National Vice-Chairman of the NDC and Mr John Ameka, General Secretary of the GCPP. Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he was impressed by the turnout.