ASHANTI NDC REGAINS COMPOSURE TO HOLD FLAGBEARERSHIP POLLS

The Ashanti regional secretariat of the National Democratic Congress says the party’s Presidential election will take place tomorrow, Sat. February 23, as scheduled, despite recent challenges the party has had with security. 

The party Executives say they have engaged with all relevant state institutions for a peaceful conduct of the polls across the region and are therefore urging all qualified party members to come out in their numbers to help select a Flagbearer to lead the party into next year’s Presidential polls. 

The Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu, gave the assurance in an interview with Ashanti Today in Kumasi. He mentioned NDC members who are qualified to vote as only those whose details appear on the Constituency Voters’ Register while security for the exercise has been left exclusively to the Police. 

These are Branch, Constituency, Regional and National Executive Committee members, members of the Council of State, all former Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State who are members of the party, Presidential Staffers, Ambassadors and Founding Members. 

"Voting will start at 7 in the morning and end at 5 pm. The Electoral Commission is ready to supervise the exercise. The Police is exclusively in charge of security at the Polling Centres. We have asked that, they deploy Police officers from the District Commands and also ensure that their officers are in official attire with name tags for easy identification", Mr. Zu stressed.

The Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, ASP Godwin Ahianyo has however assured that his outfit is ready to ensure that the NDC’s elections end peacefully.

Meanwhile, a visit to the party’s Ashanti regional office showed that life and operations have returned to normal three days after the shooting incident that led to the death of one member and injury to another at that premises at Amakom. 

 The building was flooded with campaign posters of almost all the seven persons seeking to lead the party as the Presidential candidate for next year’s national elections. They are Sylvester Mensah, Augustus Goosie Tandoh, Ekow Spio Gabrah and Alban Bagbin. The others are John Mahama, Alhaji Nurudeen Iddrisu and Professor Joshua Alabi with copies of the Notice of Polls pasted for the attention of party members who will be participating in the elections tomorrow. 

At the time of the visit, a handful of party activists and sympathizers had gathered at the premises without any sign of insecurity. The party officials were also going about their assigned duties as there was an assurance of police protection.

 In all, about 44 thousand members in good standing from over five thousand Branches of the party across the Ashanti region are expected to vote during the elections. Voting Centres will be mounted at designated places within all the 47 Constituencies with the Electoral Commission billed to supervise the exercise under security to be provided by the Ghana Police Service.