NPP makes history in Techiman

Tuobodom (B/A), Dec. 8, GNA - The NPP has for the first time since the inception of multi-party democracy in the country in 1992, wrested the Techiman North constituency seat from the NDC. History was made in the area at Sunday's elections as Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways became the first NPP candidate to win the seat, which had traditionally been held by the NDC.

In the maiden Parliamentary election of 1992, Mr Isaac Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah occupied the seat for the NDC until 2004, when he stepped down for Mr Alex Kyereme to maintain it for the party. Professor Ameyaw Akumfi defeated Kyereme by a margin of 2,119 valid votes cast, scooping 14,276 votes as against the incumbent's 12,157. The Professor lost to Kyereme in the 2004 parliamentary contest. The other contestants were Madam Agatha Ampomah of CPP, a 31 year old teacher who had 223 votes, whilst the DFP candidate, 41 year old teacher, Mr Isaac Owusu-Peprah obtained 85 votes.

In the Presidential election the NPP had 13,597 votes, NDC 12,506, PNC 110, CPP 102, DFP 78, RPD 7, DPP 11 and Independent, zero. Out of a total of 27,151 votes cast at the 71 polling stations in the constituency for the Parliamentary election, only 37 ballot papers were rejected as invalid, whereas in the Presidential election 368 out of the 26,448 votes cast were declared spoilt.

Meanwhile in the Techiman South constituency, the incumbent NDC MP, Addai Simmons retained the seat, defeating the NPP candidate Prince Yaw Donyina, who is the Municipal Chief Executive. Addai Simmons' victory is also historic as he is the first sitting MP to retain his seat in the constituency. He got 28,667 votes representing 50.51 per cent while Donyina had 26,932 votes, representing 47.45 per cent.

The other candidates were David Dumah Amoah of PNC 633, Daniel Mensah of CPP, 266, while Lale David Den of DFP obtained 155 votes. The NDC also won the Presidential election in the South with 29,473 votes, representing 52.26 per cent. The NPP had 26,124 votes representing 46.32 per cent, PNC polled 336 votes, CPP had 217 votes, DFP obtained 171 votes, RPD 17 votes, DPP received 26 votes whereas the Independent candidate got 32 votes.