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Armed police officers, wearing bullet proof vests, whisked away the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Paul Boateng, to safety, while other officers of the commission and security personnel abandoned the ballot boxes at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth congress in Kumasi to elect a national youth organiser and two deputies. The EC could not declare the results. Provisionally, Sidi Abubakar Musah polled 385 to beat the incumbent National Youth Organiser, Mr Ludwig Hlodze, who had 196 votes. It was the results for the elections for deputies that led to the chaos. Voting and counting went on with very little encumbrances but just as Mr Boateng was about to mount the podium to declare the results, supporters of one of the only two female candidates among the nine persons vying for the deputy national youth organiser position, Ms Abigail Ellorm Mensah, raised red flags about the results. They quickly asked for recount, to which the Chairman of the party's Electoral Committee, Mr Ken Dzirasah, agreed and announced to the hearing of all gathered that there was going to be a recount. However, to the utter surprise of many gathered at the Atonsu Youth Centre in Kumasi, immediately the EC officials brought the ballot boxes and tables to begin the recount, Mr Dzirasah swallowed his own words and told Ms Mensah and his supporters that the result would be declared. He advised them to seek legal redress if they had any inkling that they had been cheated. This unexpected turnaround by the elder of the party incensed the supporters of Ms Mensah, who vowed to ensure that the results were not declared. Not even the might of the police could allow Mr Boateng, who had been surrounded by over 15 policemen to announce the results, both for the national youth and that of the two deputies. Mr Dzirasah, the EC boss and Deputy Employment Minister, Ahmed Jamal were under siege for well over three hours. Led by Ms Mensah, the supporters insisted that either the votes were recounted or they would all stay till the end of time. uf