Twists, turns mark elections to Council of State
Ten people from different backgrounds were elected at selected voting centres yesterday as regional representatives on the Council of State.
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In some of the regions, some of the candidates withdrew from the poll for personal reasons or stepped down to support other candidates.
In the Greater Accra Region, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ideal Group of Companies, Dr Nii Kotei Dzani, won the election when he polled 20 out of the 32 votes cast, report Severious Kale-Dery & Dominic Moses Awiah
His closest contender, Nene Atiapah, got 12 votes, while the 11 other contestants did not obtain any vote.
However, three of the candidates, including a former Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Mr Enock Teye Mensah, pulled out from the contest a few hours to voting, which was held in the Ga West District Assembly Hall at Amasaman.
Step down
Apart from Mr Mensah, who cited personal reasons for stepping down, two others — Mr Eric Asamani and Nene Okukrubuor Teye Kwesi — stepped down to support another candidate whose name was not disclosed.
Although the Electoral Commission (EC) alloted four hours for the voting, the election, which started around 10 a.m., was over and the results declared before 12 noon.
Victory speech
In a short victory speech, Dr Dzani thanked the chiefs and the people of the region for the support and confidence reposed in him to represent the region on the Council of State.
He promised to bring his experience as an entrepreneur to bear on the work of the council and also ensure that the Greater Accra Region continued to be the centre of business in the country.
From Kumasi, Daniel Kenu reports that the 63-year-old chief of Agona Akomfoso and entrepreneur, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, was elected to represent the region on the Council of State.
He polled 45 of the 60 valid votes cast to the shock of Baffour Osei Brentuo Hyiaman VI, the Asantehene’s Manwerehene, who had only five votes in what became a three-horse race.
Minutes to the start of voting, five candidates — Alexander Asare, Dennis Kwakwa, Francis Kwaw Archer, Mubashir Iddrisu and Michael Afreh-Gyimah — polled out of the race, leaving 11.
Nana Owusu Achiaw, a commercial farmer with several businesses in the United States, promised to use his rich experience in the private sector to help the President to succeed.
Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah reports from Sekondi that a 52-year-old businesswoman of Takoradi, Ms Eunice Jacqueline Buah, was elected as the Western Regional representative on the Council of State with 24 out of the 44 votes cast.
She beat her main contender, Mr Ntori Bonkyi Akomea, 49, also a businessman, who managed to secure 10 votes in the poll conducted by the EC.
Mr John Kojoe Erzah, an 83-year-old educationist, withdrew his candidature before the conduct of the election and threw his weight behind Ms Buah.
In a short speech, Ms Buah pledged to champion the aspirations of the people in the region by offering the necessary advice to the President.
From Bolgatanga, Alhandu Abdul-Hamid reports that the Paramount Chief of the Tongo Traditional Area, Tongo-Rana Kubilsong Nalebgtang, known in private life as Robert Nachinab D. Mosore, was elected as the representative of the Upper East Region on the Council of State.
He polled 11 votes to beat four other candidates, including Mr Appiah Moses Abaare, the Chief of Binaba, who had two votes; Mr Philip Babachuweh, who had seven votes; Mr Francis Apam, who had no vote, and Dr Jacob Kofi Ayeebo, who had six votes.
The election, scheduled to start at 10 a.m., had to be delayed due to a court injunction served on the EC, the Coordinating Director of the Nabdam District Assembly and two assembly members.
It took the intervention of the Chief Director of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council to amicably resolve the issue to pave the way for the election to be conducted at 4.30 p.m.
In his victory speech, the Tongo-Rana indicated that he would support stakeholders in the region to lobby the government for the development of the region, which he described as very deprived.
From Cape Coast, Timothy Gobah & Shirley Asiedu-Addo report that the Omanhen of the Twifo Mampong Traditional Area, Obrempong Appiah Nuamah II, was elected to represent the Central Region on the Council of State.
He polled 11 out of the 38 votes cast, beating five others to win the slot.
In his address after being declared winner, Obrempong Nuamah said he would commit to fighting the problems of unemployment, poverty and under-development in the region.
Nana Brew Butler, who had been tipped to win the election, told the Daily Graphic that “as a sportsman, I take the results in my stride”.
In Tamale, the Chief of Bogu, near Savelugu in the Northern Region, Bo-Na Professor Yakubu S. Nantogma, 74, was elected to represent the region on the Council of State, reports Zadok K. Gyesi.
He polled 20 votes to beat his closest contender, Kpembewura Dari Bismark Haruna, who obtained 17 out of the 52 valid votes cast.
Before the poll began, Rashid Sulemana Mahama, 78, a health educationist; John Wuni Grumah, 66, a medical assistant, and Soalisu Shaibu, 40, a teacher and microfinance consultant, withdrew from the contest to support the Kpembewura.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Nantogma, a retired educationist, said his prime objective was to focus on agricultural development in the region.
Tim Dzamboe reports from Ho that a 50-year-old oil and gas dealer from Anloga, Mr Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo, polled 29 out of the 50 votes to become the representative of the Volta Region on the Council of State.
He contested against 19 candidates, after two had withdrawn from the race.
The Paramount Chief of the Vakpo Traditional Area, Togbe Gbogbolulu V, polled eight votes, while the Queenmother of Ho-Dome, Mama Atrato II, polled four votes.
Mr Nyonyo said his victory was for all the people of the Volta Region, especially the youth.
He said he would raise pertinent issues relating to the development of the Volta Region, adding that all uncompleted projects would be completed.
In Sunyani, a 73-year-old retired public servant, Mr Kodwo Agyenim-Boateng, pulled a surprise when he obtained 21 out of the 50 votes to secure the Brong Ahafo Regional slot on the Council of State, report Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Biiya Mukusah Ali.
He beat nine others in the hotly contested election, among which were chiefs, farmers, retired civil servants and prominent NPP activists in the region.
Withdrawal
Before the election, the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of the Yeji Traditional Area, Pimampim Yaw Kagbrese V, withdrew from the race, leaving 10 candidates to battle for the region’s slot on the Council of State.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng promised to serve the interest of the people of the region by advising the President to establish more factories to create jobs for the youth.
In the Eastern Region, a 63-year-old accountant, Nana Somuah Mireku, won the slot when he garnered 26 votes out of the 52 cast to beat his closest contender, Ambassador Afari Apeadu Donkor, who had 23 votes.
Emmanuel Modey reports from Wa in the Upper West Region that the Paramount Chief of the Tumu Traditional Area, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton IV, emerged victorious in the election, which was contested by three other people, to become the representative of the region on the Council of State.
He polled 13 out of the 22 valid votes.
Kuoro Kanton expressed gratitude to the delegates and the people of the region for the trust reposed in him to represent them on the Council of State.
