NPP election: Voting commences at polling centres
Delegates of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) across the various constituencies in the country have started voting to elect a flagbearer for the party in the 2024 elections.
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A total of 203,439 delegates are expected to cast their ballots in all the 276 constituencies across the country.
Graphic Online reporters give live updates from all the polling centres across the country.
Our Correspondent, Emmanuel Bonney reports from Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region that delegates started arriving at the voting centre as early as 5a.m.
A total of 1,492 delegates are expected to vote in the Awutu Senya East Constituency. They include the Member of Parliament of the constituency, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who is also the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Awutu Senya Municipal Chief Executive, Anita Obo Love as well as the 17 executives of the party.
The delegates have been put into two queues (A &B) in order to make the voting process easier and smooth.
The process has so far been smooth.
There is also a huge police presence at the St Mary's Anglican Junior High School Astro Turf, venue for the election.
Some 420 police personnel have been deployed to provide security in the Awutu Senya East, Awutu Senya West and Gomoa East constituencies.
Voting has already begun at Kwadaso Beposo LA basic school, at both centres A and B. The centre Centre A is expecting 496 voters.
However, Centre B says the number is unknown because it wasn't entered in the register.
From the Tema Central Constituency, Benjamin Xornam Glover reports that polls are going on smoothly at the Prisco Minis Park at Community Four. 745 delegates from the Eleven Electoral Areas are expected to vote in the exercise.
Polls began at 7:36 am and delegates who arrive were first taken through the process of checking their names in the register outside the field after which they proceed to the middle of the park to cast their ballot.
Police personnel stationed at the main gate conducts body search using a metal detector after which Mobile devices of candidates were collected from the delegates before they proceed to cast their ballot.
After voting, the delegates return to the main entrance to collect their mobile devices and exit the inner perimeter, the move, it was explained was to prevent the voter from capturing who they voted for.
Gilbert Mawuli Agbey reports from Bolgatanga that a total of 789 and 251 delegates are expected to cast their votes in the NPP presidential primary in the Bolgatanga Central and Bolgatanga East Constituencies.
Voting which began at exactly 7am at the premises of the Regional House of Chiefs and Kumbosigo Primary School is ongoing smoothly.
There is heavy presence of personnel from the Ghana Police Service at the grounds as delegates are scanned before having access to the venue.
Speaking in an interview, the Bolgatanga Municipal Electoral Officer of the Electoral Commission, Yaw Peprah, said the process was smooth as they had not encountered any challenges.
Some of the delegates at both constituencies expressed excitement about the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election.
Dickson Worlanyo Dotse reports that voting began exactly at 7a.m with over 1,000 delegates expected to vote in the Okaikwei South Constituency.
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The constituency is made up of eight electoral areas.
The delegates have been put into two queues (A & B) with three electoral areas and constituency party executives voting at “A” and the remaining five voting at “B”.
This is to make the voting process seamless and smooth.
There’s also a well-coordinated police presence at the venue with some stationed at the entrance strict on inspecting accreditations before allowing entry.
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At the voting areas, police officers with body cameras positioned at vantage points.
From Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, Haruna Yussif Wunpini reports that 1,130 and 507 delegates are currently voting in the New Juaben South and New Juaben North Constituencies to choose a flagbearer to lead the party in the 2024 general elections.
Voting which started at 7;30 a.m are currently going on smoothly at the premises of the Koforidua Senior High Technical School (SECTECH) as well as the Effiduase Methodist Junior High School.
There is also a heavy police presence at the voting centres, helping the process to flow smoothly.
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From Bono Region, Biiya Mukusah Ali, reports that apart from the Sunyani East Constituency, which has been suspended due to legal issues, voting is underway in the rest of the 11 constituencies.
The Graphic Online checks across the constituencies in the region indicates that so far voting has been smooth and peaceful.
The Bono Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kofi Ofosu Boateng, told Graphic Online that a total of 6,661 delegates are expected to take part in the exercise.
However, the Member of Parliament (MP), Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ansu Kumi, the founding members and national council member of the party in the Sunyani East Constituency are expected to vote at the Sunyani West Constituency.
As early as 6:20 a.m, some delegates in the Sunyani West Constituency had converged at the Odumase Senior High School (SHS) to cast their votes.
Exactly, 8:10 a.m, when the voting started, the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, was the first delegate to cast her vote.
In all,1,044 delegates are expected to vote at the Sunyani West Constituency.
As at 11:00 a.m, 532 delegates had voted at the constituency.
Mr Boateng said the party received the voting items on last Thursday and dispatched them to the various constituencies yesterday.