Chairman Thrown Out During NDC Election

The beauty and peace that characterised the conduct of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency election in the Agona West Constituency last Saturday was nearly marred by violence when a polling station chairman attempted to disrupt the whole voting process. Nana Kow Arhin, popularly known as �Joe Ringo�, the Swedru Methodist JHS branch chairman, had to be thrown out of the Swedru Town Hall where the election was held by officers of the Ghana Police Service to enable the electoral commission to count the votes cast. Nana Arhin started an unprovoked confrontation with a party member immediately voting ended around 7:45 p.m. which could have disrupted the counting of the ballots but the timely intervention by the police personnel detailed to oversee the conduct of the elections helped to maintain order for counting to begin. The Police personnel who managed to separate the two realised that the continued presence of Joe Ringo in the hall was a security threat and, therefore, decided to pull him out of the place, which he resisted. It, however, took police reinforcement to forcibly drag and throw him out of the auditorium for peace to prevail. According to information gathered by the Daily Graphic, Nana Arhin had started unprovoked confrontations during the election with some party members and had also attacked some candidates in the full glare of the police. At a point, he even verbally attacked this reporter because the reporter had written story about him almost a year ago. The election was supervised by Mr Patrick Aniagyei, Regional Organiser; Nana Osiebi Quansah, Regional Propaganda Secretary, and Mrs Rose Bempong, Regional Deputy Women�s Organiser. Also in attendance were the Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Oppong, and the Member of Parliament for Agona West Constituency, Mr Charles Obeng-Inkoom. After voting At the end of the voting, the incumbent Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Kwesi Lincoln, got 85 votes and lost his position to Mr Samuel Mpotah, who secured 294 votes. Mr Kweku Takyi and Alex Yeboah had 35 and 69 votes respectively. For the Vice-Chairman position, Mr Samuel Nana Yeboah had 294 votes to beat Awudu Mohammed Ibrahim, who managed 207 votes. The Secretary position was won by Mr Emmanuel Korley, a tutor at Swedru School of Business, who had 401 votes to defeat Fred Andrews and George Ebo Crentsil, who polled 27 and 73 votes respectively. Mr Eric Gyamfi Odoom won the Deputy Secretary position with 351 votes to defeat Mr Ebenezer Opare Essel, who had 134 votes. Mr Peter Arthur lost the organiser position to Mr Eric Kofi Appoh, who secured 293 votes. Madam Georgina Osei polled 206 votes to win the Deputy Organiser position against Eric Amankwah and Tahiru Abdul-Aziz. The youth organiser position went to Mr Emmanuel Ayensu, who secured 89 votes to beat Mr Patrick Kweku Smith, who had 38 votes. Mr Clement Asuah had 71 votes to win the Deputy Youth Organiser position against Charles Asomani Baah. For the Propaganda Secretary position, Mr Emmanuel Addison had 402 votes to beat Mr Obed Kwame Osam, who secured only 96 votes. Mr Nicholas Asiedu Locasah had 369 votes to beat Gideon Amoakoh, who had 128 votes. Miss Evelyn Adu won the Women�s Organiser position with 67 votes in a close contest with Hajia Fati Sulley, who had 64 votes. For the Deputy Women�s Organiser position, Madam Ama Sarah had 65 votes to defeat Joana Aba Boakye and Comfort Obeng Akuamoah, who polled 34 and 29 votes respectively. Mr Twidanba Kobena Sarpong won the Treasurer position with 375 votes to defeat Alhaji Osmanu Mohammed, who had 125 votes. Hajia Saratu Adam also had 302 votes to beat three other candidates in the Deputy Treasurer position. Victory speech Mr Samuel Mpotah thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in the new executive and called on the party�s supporters to put the election behind them and work for its unity. He called on the supporters to rally behind the new executive to work towards retaining the parliamentary seat and the presidency in 2016. - See more at: http://graphic.com.gh/news/politics/29194-chairman-thrown-out-during-agona-west-ndc-election.html#sthash.VjD0Ar6D.dpuf