Dr Okoe Boye, Deputy Minister of health
The governing New Patriotic Party recorded some shocking defeats in some constituencies in the Greater Accra Region, including the Ledzokuku, Krowor and Dadekotopon constituencies, whilst new entrant, Sheila Bartels, won the Ablekuma North for the NPP.
In what was considered a key battle grounds for the two main political parties, the NPP could not hold on to the Ledzokuku, Krowor and Dadekotopon seats, ceding it to the NDC.
The incumbent MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye’s hopes of securing a second term as a legislator were dashed, with NDC’s Benjamin Ayiku Narteh securing the sit for his party with a total of 55,938 votes. Dr Okoe Boye garnered 54,072 votes .
Krowor
At the Krowor constituency, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, could not hold on to the seat as the NDC’s Agnes Naa Momo snatched it with 41,851.
Mrs Quaye polled 32,602.
The NPP yet again failed to hold on to the Ladadekotopon seat, after winning it in the 2016 elections. Rita Odoley Sowah, of the NDC, beat NPP’s Joseph Gerald Tetteh Nyannyafio.
Ablekuma North
At Ablekuma North, the NPP candidate, Shiela Bartels, emerged victorious in the polls.
She secured 54,544 out of the 85,392 total votes cast.
Shiela Bartels beat off the stiff competition from the NDC’s Winifred Ashley Mensah who obtained 29,704 votes, with 427 of the votes in the constituency rejected.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications, also retained the Ablekuma West seat with a total of 37,363 of the total votes cast.
The NDC candidate, Rev Kweku Addo, followed keenly with 30,733 votes out of the 69,533 votes.
Abu Jinapor
A Deputy Chief of Staff, Samuel Abu Jinapor, also floored the incumbent MP for Damongo in the Savannah Region, Adam Mutawakilu.
Abu Jinapor secured 15,671 votes as against the NDC’s 13,330 votes.
The presidential election in the constituency was however won by the NDC.
The NDC’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, had 16,231 votes in the constituency while President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo polled 12,264 votes.
Joe Ghartey, the Railways Development Minister, won the Essikado-Ketan constituency for the fifth time.
He secured 26,701 votes whilst his closest contender, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, the NDC candidate, obtained 24,527 votes. Joe Ghartey won the Essikado-Ketan seat, which was created out of the Sekondi constituency in 2004, and has since continued to retain it.
Meanwhile, the NDC candidate has rejected the results, claiming that the incumbent tempered with it.
“Joe Ghartey tampered with the results. I won the seat fair and square. I went to the grassroots, every corner of this constituency to sell my message. This can’t happen again. The incumbent cannot continue to tamper with votes. He better step aside and let me take my rightful place as the MP-elect,” Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah told the media.
Contest
In a related development, the NDC yesterday said it would challenge the Bortinor Ngleshie Amanfrom constituency parliamentary results in court, citing alleged rigging.
Mr Alexander Ackuaku, the defeated parliamentary candidate, has accused the Electoral Commission official, Mr Samuel Mingle, as the brain behind the alleged rigging of the polls.
“We have not accepted any result. What we are saying is that the result was fraudulent and it was a deliberate attempt to change the verdict of the people. And it’s in connivance with the EC, led by Mr Mingle…he is the brain behind all that happened here,” he claimed.
“We will talk to our lawyers and will see the next line of action. How on earth will you declare results when you know very well that some polling centres results are not yet in? He claimed some of the presiding officers of some polling stations took the results home and have to WhatsApp it to him (Mr Mingle),” he added.
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