The Statesman

In what has been described as a mid-term review on the performance of the NDC, the electorate at Ablekuma Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, will go to the polls today in a by- election amid increasing accusations of NDC foul play and the sceptre of violence.

A Statesman report, "Ablekuma Election Today" says the general secretary of the NPP, Mr. Dan Botwe last Wednesday protested to the Ghana Police about it's alleged connivance with the ruling party, to discredit the party's Parliamentary candidate Victor Okuley Nortey over a land case with which he has no connection.

According to the paper, the NPP's Youth wing joined in the protest. Accusing that the NDC's intention of using

"dirty tricks" such as buying voters ID cards for 20,000 cedis to be used by impersonators.

The report continues that the NDC is desperate to win the by- election to enable it to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament and that in spite of the multiplicity of candidates an objective assessment of the campaigning shows that today's contest is an NPP-NDC clash.

The report then goes into an analysis of the various candidates, Mr. Okuley Nortey-NPP, Mr. Ismail Bawa-NDC, Mr. Suleimani-Independent, Mr. Musa Nartey-PNC, and Hajia Faati Saraju-CP, and their chances of winning. In a concluding paragraph it says "considering that all the contestants apart from Mr. Okuley Nortey are Northerners, they are bound to struggle for the large Northern vote with Mr. Bawa while the NPP candidate reaps maximum votes from the predominant southern electorate." Adding whichever way one looks at it the election today is a tricky one but the situation on the ground favours an NPP win.

Otumfuo goes to Breman" is another front-page headline in this issue of the Statesman. The story has it that a historic chapter in the Asante tradition was shut yesterday as the Krobea Asante Kotokohene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, embarked on a journey of no return with the internment of his mortal remains at the royal mausoleum at Breman near Essumaja.

According to the report, the lowering of Otumfuo's casket into the grave to find a resting-place beside his ancestors signalled the end of an era when the history of the 15th occupant of the stool comes to be written. It must have also marked a disappointment for thousands of people whose determination to gain entry to the executive lounge in the Manhyia palace to catch a glimpse of the elegantly adorned body of the late Otumfuo proved futile. Throughout the four days that he laid in state, the queues of people wishing to file past the Asantehene and pay their last respects are said to have winded 4 kilometres at times.

Among the chiefs listed as having gone to the Ashanti capital from other regions was a delegation from the Okyeman council led by the head of the Oyoko clan, Osabarima Agyeman III, Asiakwahene, and Okyeman Nifahene. Others were the Okwapehene, Oseadeyo Addo Dankwa III, Denkyirahene, Odeefuo Boa Amponsem, Akwamuhene, Otumfuo Ansaa SasrakuVI, Oguahene Osabarima Kwesi Atta, Manya Krobotse, Nene Sackitey II, Gushiegu Naa B.A Yakubu and a Volta Region delegation led by Ekpekpewokpe Akpinifiaga Togbe Dagaddu VII.