Dzodze (V/R)-Ghana, June. 2, GNA – Some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ketu North constituency of the Volta region are calling on the leadership of the party to re-run the controversial parliamentary primary held on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Mr Enoch Amedegbe, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved NDC members at a press conference held at Dzodze on Thursday, said they were unhappy with the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) over the declaration of Mr Edem Agbana as the winner of that primary without conducting a re-run of what the Electoral Commission (EC) announced was a tied vote.
The party members expressed worry about the NEC decision saying it could lead to disunity within the members of the party in the constituency and adversely affect the fortunes of the party in the 2023 general elections.
They also called on the party’s constituency and regional executives as well as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi to promptly address the issue before it degenerates.
They emphasized the need to uphold party rules, regulations, and guidelines, as well as the country’s electoral laws in the interest of peace and unity going forward.
The Electoral Commission at the end of the polls in the Ketu North constituency, initially declared Mr Eden Agbana the winner by a single vote in the contest as he secured 360 votes as against 359 by John Adanu.
But upon two recounts of the ballots, authorized by an agent of John Adanu, the EC discovered three ballot papers that were not stamped with two of the three unstamped ballots cast in favour of Edem Agbana whilst the remainder unstamped ballot was cast in favour of John Adanu.
The removal of the unstamped ballots from the votes of the two leading candidates left the two with 358 valid votes each, leading to confusion at the polling grounds and hot verbal exchanges between supporters of the two candidates.
However, following a crunch meeting between the party’s Functional Executive Committee and the two leading candidates, the party on May 16, 2023, announced Edem Agbana as the duly elected NDC parliamentary candidate for Ketu North.
The National Executive Committee of the party announced after the declaration that it took that decision because the unstamped ballot papers which were rejected by the EC, bore the same serial numbers as captured in the EC’s own records. This did not go down well with some of the party faithful in the constituency who have since been accusing the party leadership of not following due process in their decision.
Mr Tessu James Dotsey, Ketu North NDC Communications officer in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Friday, could neither deny nor confirm the receipt of any official complaints from any such aggrieved NDC members in the constituency.
“Well, we are also just hearing of these issues from the media – as to whether we are officially aware of the development or otherwise I can’t really say,” Mr Dotsey said.
He however called for restraint and assured of the commitment of the party’s leadership in the constituency in addressing any concerns that may come officially to their notice in the interest of peace and unity.
