<<Print>>

Although many Ghanaians across the country erupted in wild jubilation when Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman declared Mr. John Mahama as the President Elect for the 2012 polls, it was another story entirely in Kyebi, Nana Akufo-Addo�s hometown. Even a day after the declaration, many jubilant supporters of the NDC, especially at market centres, abandoned their wares and some even closed shops to celebrate the victory. In Kyebi, there were no festivities. The town is located in the Abuakwa South constituency of the Eastern Region, where NPP presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo once served as a Member of Parliament. Joy News� Nana Adjei indicated that some residents were in a state of shock while others still doubt the results announced by the EC. Some news Houses on Sunday morning projected President Mahama as the winner of the presidential election, but the people in Nana Akufo-Addo�s hometown discredited the projection and went to bed hoping to hear different results in the morning. However, they woke up to reality that President Mahama had garnered 5,574,761 votes, representing 50.70% of all ballots cast, to win the polls. By contrast, Akufo-Addo won 47.74% of the vote with 5,248,898 ballots. Even though about 8,445 people, or 21.90 % of Abuakwa south voters cast ballots for President Mahama and the NDC, there were no jubilators in Kyebi, where Nana Akufo-Addo won the constituency massively with 29,334 votes, 76.06 % of the total. In a widely condemned statement Saturday evening, NPP General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie declared Nana Akufo-Addo the winner of the 2012 election. According to Nana Adjei, many people still believe the General Secretary and are therefore waiting for party leadership to publicize the party�s position after EC�s announcement contradicted Mr. Owusu-Afriyie�s press statement. NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey said the party�s National Executive Committee would be meeting on Tuesday to decide on their next line of action after the EC disregarded their petition to delay the declaration of results. Youth President of the NPP in Abuakwa South told Joy News that supporters of the NPP in the area are calm and waiting for the party to take a stand. He added that the votes that the NDC won in Kyebi were �amazing but they can�t come out to jubilate.�