KMA fails to elect Presiding Member

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) on Tuesday failed to elect a Presiding Member (PM) after two rounds of voting ended in a stalemate.

None of the five contestants – Nana Kofi Senya and Baffour Agyei Kesse, both former PMs, Nana Yaw Wiredu, Mr. Hamidu Gariba and Mr. Michael Adusei Bonsu, was able to secure the two-thirds majority votes required by the law.

Baffour Kesse polled 56 votes with Nana Senya, receiving 46, while Mr. Bonsu Nana Wiredu and Gariba had 27, four and two votes respectively during the first round of voting.

The three candidates with the least votes withdrew their nomination to make the second round a straight battle between the two former PMs.

Nana Senya this time round won the backing of 68 members as against the 65 who gave their votes to Baffour Kesse.

With no winner, the Electoral Commission (EC) decided to postpone the election to Friday, October 16.

The KMA has 147 members, 91 of them elected, 44 appointed and 10 ex-officio members, who are Members of Parliament (MPs).