Sam Pee Yalley
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Western Region produced interesting results with Ghana’s Ambassador to India, Mr Sam Pee Yalley losing the contest to the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahanta West, Mr. George Kwame Aboagye.
Mr. Aboagye polled 1,881 votes, while his sole contender, Ambassador Yalley, had 1, 172 votes in a keenly contested election.
At Sefwi-Wiawso, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, the Western Regional Minister who doubles as the MP for the area defeated three others by polling 5,664 votes to retain his candidature.
Mr. Thomas Armah who was tipped by many pollsters to unseat the regional minister garnered 1,210 votes to place second; Dr. Felix Nelson Amoako had 824 votes to place third, while Mr. Emmanuel Adansi Bondah had 790 votes to place last on the table.
The former Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, Captain (retired) Anthony Robert Cudjoe lost the opportunity to contest on the ticket of the party in the Sekondi constituency for the second time, when he was beaten by a young businessman, Emmanuel Assifuah.
The retired captain polled 766 votes as against 1,089 by Mr. Assifuah..
Madam Betty Busumtwi-Sam, the former deputy regional minister under the late President John Atta Mills Administration, polled 301 votes to place third, while Emmanuel Nyamekye had 55 votes, with Madam Charlotte Odum securing disappointing 48 votes to place last in the contest.
Mr. Alfred Ekow Gyan, the deputy regional minister dismissed the challenge of Madam Janet Ansah, a businesswoman in the Takoradi constituency race, when he polled 1,567 votes as against 460 votes received by Madam Janet Ansah.
In the Wassa Amenfi Central contest, Mr. Peter Kwakye Ackah, who is the district chief executive for the area, won the contest with 3,685 votes, defeating two other aspirants including Emmanuel Ntiakoh, who garnered 2,122 votes, while Alfred Columbus Amoah had 607 votes to place distance third.
The incumbent MP for Prestea-Huni Valley, Mr. Adu Blay-Koffie was unseated by the district chief executive for the area, Mr. Robert Wisdom Cudjoe.
Mr. Blay-Koffie polled 2,700 votes to place second while Mr.Cudjoe had 3,196 votes to carry the day, with Kweku Seidu Essilfie polling 247 votes to place third.
Seth Kwame Dzokoto of “Effie Wura” fame, is not only good in acting movies, but took a giant step in the world of politics when he polled 1, 415 votes to win the Tarkwa-Nsuaem parliamentary primary while his sole contender, Joseph Otchere, garnered 402 votes.
In the contest of six aspirants in the Aowin constituency, Mr. Matthias Ntow emerged victorious with 2,029 votes, Mr. Oscar Larbi, the district chief executive for the area had 1,980 votes to place second, Nana Meinsu Adu polled 1,089 votes to place third, Dr. Joseph Yensu polled 987 votes to place fourth, Patrick Cobbinah had 133 votes to place fifth, while Frank Ackah had 84 votes to place last on the table.
The incumbent MP for Ajomoro Evalue-Gwira, Mr. Tenekyie Kesse, retained his candidature with 1,536 votes, while his challenger, Mr. Henry Dickson managed disappointing 696 votes.
There were eight unopposed parliamentary candidates in the region including Mr. Gabriel Kwodwo Essilfie, the incumbent MP for Shama, Mr. Augustine Arthur, Kwesimintsim, Mr. Isaac Adjei-Mensah, MP for Wassa East, Mr. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, MP for Wassa Amenfi East, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, MP for Ellembelle and Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Moses Armah, Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai, Mr. Sampson Ahi, MP for Sefwi-Bodi and Deputy Ministern of Water Resources, Works and Housing, and Mr. Michael Acheampong, MP for Bia East.
Generally, the elections were peaceful, except few skirmishes in some polling stations when some people who claimed to be card-bearing members of the party had their names missing in the party’s voters’ register.
However, the police intervened timely to maintain law and order.
