NPP takes firm lead

The Daily Graphic reports that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken a firm and commanding lead in both the presidential and parliamentary elections held throughout the country last Thursday.

Confirmed results from the Electoral Commission (EC) indicate that the leading opposition party has won 42 out of 53 constituencies with the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) badly trailing behind it.

Out of a total 1,956,766 votes cast in the 53 certified constituencies as at Thursday evening, the presidential candidate of the NPP, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, had obtained 1,181,584 votes registering 60.4 per cent of votes cast.

The flagbearer of the NDC, Professor John Atta Mills had 692,805 votes being 35.4 per cent of total votes cast.

Mr Dan Lartey of the GCPP has 14,501 (0.7 per cent), Prof. George Hagan, CPP (0.7), Dr Edward Mahama PNC, (1.6), Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby UGM (0.2) and Mr Goosie Tanoh (1.0) per cent.

"The revealing aspect in the results was the convincing ability of the NPP to win in hitherto strongholds of the NDC, especially, in the Brong Ahafo and Western Regions as well as some NDC strongholds in the Greater Accra.