Late voting materials delay NDC Brong Ahafo polls
VOTING could not start on time in many constituencies in the Brong Ahafo Region as a result of the late arrival of election materials from Accra.
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According to the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr George Gyabaah, the election materials arrived from Accra at 4.30 am this morning and finally dispatched to the various constituencies at 5.am.
“I am not surprised that as at 10 am, there are reports that the exercise has not started in constituencies which are far away from the regional capital Sunyani”.
Apart from the Sunyani East constituency, the process could not begin on the scheduled time, 7.00 am and voters speaking on the various radio stations in the region expressed their displeasure about the situation.
Reports from Techiman North, Techiman South, Nkoranza North and South, Sene East and West, Pru East and West, Dormaa Central, Dormaa East and Dormaa West indicate that as at 9.30am the exercise had not started.
Mr Gyabaah told the Graphic Online that “we have to stay all night waiting for the election material. We were told that the materials left Accra as late as 10.00 pm on Friday”.
He said he has however instructed his officials to go ahead with the exercise no matter the odds.
“I will not be surprised that the exercise will travel beyond the 5.00 pm as a result of the delay in the dispatch of the materials.
Sunyani East
In the Sunyani East Constituency, however, voting started on time with eligible voters trooping to the polling station early to cast their vote.
At the Twene Amanfo Secondary School Polling Station, three electoral areas - Atoase, Ahenboboano, and Akuoko – have been combined with a total voters of 670.
As at 8.42, 50 people had already cast their votes with other trickling in to exercise their franchise.
The Presiding Officer of the station, Mr Charles Nyarko said so far only two people could not find their names in the register and thus could not vote.
A prospective voter at the Twene Amanfo Secondary School Polling Station, Esther Boahemaa desperately searching for her name in the register. She had to leave disappointed when she could not find her name.
Miss Esther Boahemaa who could not find her name in the register told the daily Graphic that “I am disappointed but what can I do, there are better elections ahead”.
At the Workers’ Canteen Polling Station voting was going on smoothly as at 8.50 am with 50 people been able to cast their votes.
There was however some hot verbal exchanges between supporters of the two candidates, Mr Collins Mahama and Mr Kwasi Oppong-Ababio at the Urban Council Primary A Polling Station (Zongo Abetifi) at 9.15am when Daily Graphic visited the station.
However, the two policemen available were able to stamp on their authority to prevent the situation to degenerate into fisticuffs. The incident however did not mar the smoothness of the process.
The voting process at the Kotokrom Urban Council Primary and the Penkwase Islamic Primary polling stations were smooth with no recorded incidents.
However some people could not find their names in the register and had to go home disappointed.
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