Accra, Jan 28, GNA - Hundreds of National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters and sympathisers on Saturday afternoon defied a heavy downpour to go on a street carnival following the victory of Mr Nii Lante Vanderpuije, the Director of Operations in the office of the President, in the primaries of the party for the Odododiodioo constituency in Accra.
He obtained 389 votes to defeat the incumbent, Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie Komme, who had 71 votes while Mr Walid Anyertei Laryea; a Businessman, got eight votes.
Just after officials of the Electoral Commission had announced the results it started to drizzling followed by a downpour.
A celebrant in the procession, told Ghana News Agency that the rain was a sign of good omen for the NDC in the constituency.
“This rain just after the election of Nii Lante as the parliamentary candidate for the 2012 election is a sign of God’s blessing for the NDC to retain the Odododiodioo seat for the third time in a row,” Papa Nii Okai, a delegate from the Ayalolo branch of the party said.
The primaries attracted top officials of the party, including Mr Danny Annang, NDC National Vice Chairman, Mr Ade Coker, Greater Accra NDC Regional Chairman, Madam Anita De Souza, NDC National Women’s Organiser, Mr Jerry Akwei Thompson, NDC Regional Organiser, Mr Yaw Kundu, NDC Regional Treasurer and the Chief Executive of Accra Metropolitian Assembly, Mr Alfred Nii Oko Vanderpuije. The Constituency Chairman, Mr Daniel Nii Okai, appealed to the contestants to consider the elections as a family affair and urged the winner to be “gracious in victory and accommodate his challengers to go into the 2012 elections as members of one family to retain the seat”.
Mr Ade Coker noted that the attention of the whole country was on the constituency, which he described as “The barometer used to measure the political temperature of the country”.
He said detractors of the NDC were expecting mayhem after the election, and advised the contestants and their supporters, delegates and followers of the party “to shame them by accepting the outcome and behaving with decorum.”
Mr Tackie Komme was the first to arrive at the election ground at the Sacred Heart Catholic Parish at Korle Wonkor followed by Mr Vanderpuije, who was accompanied by a large number of supporters singing asafo songs and an agent of Mr Laryea, who was the last to arrive agreed to the delegates list before the election began.
Mr Vanderpuije pledged to cooperate with the losing contestants in the campaign to retain the seat for the NDC.
He said he would tap the experience of Mr Komme who is a two term parliamentarian, which was unprecedented in the history of the area, to develop the area, especially for the benefit youth and constituents.
Mr Komme also pledged to support the parliamentary candidate and the NDC to win the 2012 Election,
He commended the delegates and the party for giving him an opportunity to contribute his quota to the development of the area.
Mr Annang commended the delegates for their comportment and said the election was as “Very successful and one of the best organised in the constituency”.
