Security at the Weija constituency in Greater Accra has been
beefed up to ensure maximum protection for voters and electoral
materials.
The constituency, the largest in the region, has over the years
been considered as a conflict-prone area. The security beef-up
was therefore the result of the general complaint that
characterized the December 7 general election.
As at 0618 hours, when the GNA got to New-life polling centre
with polling station number C013204B, there was a long queue
including stones to temporarily represent some voters.
The centre had polling agents for the two contesting political
parties.
Mr Philip Yawson, Presiding Officer, told GNA that about
1,566 registered voters were expected to cast their votes, but the
centre recorded 30 transfers.
However, he said, the checklist containing the names of all
voters in station and the list for special voters were absent.
When the GNA got to the New Gbawe D/A primary school
around 0705 hours, only 14 people had cast their votes.
Mr Jerry Anku, Presiding Officer, said all voting materials were
set and 1,981 voters were expected to cast their ballots.
The Gbawe Presbyterian polling centre with number CO13213
had recorded 100 voters as of 0722 when GNA arrived there.
Mr Daniel Offei, Presiding Officer, said about 2,091 voters
were expected to vote.
At the Amicin Video centre, 68 voters had cast their ballots as
at 0742 hours.
Mr Gabriel Ajavon, Presiding Officer, said 1,292 people were
expected to vote at the centre with polling number CO13211.
At the Mallam Old Presbyterian polling centre, 198 voters had
exercised their franchise by 0814.
Evans Adu, Presiding Officer, who gave the centre number as
CO13203, said 1,823 voters were on the list.
The Rehabilitation poling centre at Weija had also recorded
214 voters out of 1,365 voters in the register as at 0840 hours
when GNA got there.
The Presiding officer, Mr Johnson Ford Appiah Fordjour told
GNA that voting was proceeding well.
He envisaged that the turnout was likely to be higher than the
December 7 polls.
Some Christians from the Winners Chapel, Ghana, Christian
Worship Centre and the Jesus House International Ministry were
attending church service early to enable them to cast their votes.
Politics Voting Progress 5 Accra
Voting started smoothly at the Odododiodio constituency in
the Greater Accra Region without the long queues that
characterized the first round of elections on December 7.
As at 0745 hours when GNA visited the Old Ga Manste Court
polling station with number C050107 in the Ngleshie electoral
area, Miss Patience Opare, Presiding Officer, said there were
adequate electoral materials and 58 out of 632 eligible voters had
cast their ballots.
“We hope that by noon majority of the people would have
come to vote” she said.
At the T.B. Bukom Park and Sakumo Tso Shishi Palace
polling stations, voters were seen in the queues waiting patiently
for their turn to cast their ballot.
Mr Bright Hammond, Presiding Officer at the Sakumo Tso
Shishi, said there was no difference in terms of voter turn-out
compared to the first round.
“Voting is going on smoothly and there are no problems with
voters without ID cards as encountered during the first round
where some people mentioned different names from what was on
the register,” he said.
Both parties had their polling agents at all the stations visited
and there were both local and international observers as well as
personnel from the various security agencies.
Politics Elections Progress 6 Accra
There was virtually no queue at most of the polling stations
that GNA visited at the Okaikoi South constituency in the Greater
Accra Region.
Bishop Boys A and B and St. Theresa's School A and B
polling stations in the Bubuii and North Kaneshie electoral areas
remained empty at 0948 hours when GNA went back to those
polling stations. Voters trickled in leisurely to cast their votes.
Mr Daniel Lordson, Presiding Officer at the Bishop Boys B
polling station, explained that most people rushed to cast their
votes on December 7 only to realize that the place was virtually
empty in the afternoon.
"So we are hoping that this time round, people are waiting to
come out in the afternoon to cast their votes," he said.
At the time GNA arrived at the polling station, 344 people had
cast their votes out of 1,235 registered voters while at the Bishop
Boys A centre, 362 had people cast their votes out of 1,365
registered voters.
Earlier, Salifu Abdul-Rahman, Presiding Officer at the St.
Theresa's School A polling centre, told the GNA that the voting
process was going on smoothly.
He said a lot of people came very early to cast their votes and
expressed the hope that more people would come in later.
Mr Napoleon Wilson, Presiding Officer at the Kaneshie
Primary 1 and 4 B polling station, complained that the transfer list
for his station did not arrive early, thus delaying the process for
those on that list.
He said 531 people had cast their votes as at 0930 hours out
of a total of 1,903 registered voters.
Meanwhile, 362 people had voted out of 1,810 registered
voters at the Kaneshie Primary 1 and 4 A polling station.
Kufuor votes in presidential run-off
Accra, Dec. 28, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on
Sunday joined millions of qualified Ghanaian voters from across
the country to cast his
ballot in the presidential run-off.
He voted at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Temporary Booth,
Dzorwulu Open Space Polling station, at exactly 1020 hours.
He was accompanied by his wife, Theresa, who had earlier
voted at that same polling station.
President Kufuor, after voting told journalists that he was
hopeful the poll would be conducted in a peaceful and orderly
manner.
Voting, he pointed out, was an expression of one's view and a
preference for a candidate or party and not a war.
He said he was expecting the "best for his side."
Asked about what he would be doing after January 7, when he
hands over, he said he planned to retire into a responsible citizen
and an elderly statesman, who would be expressing his views and
giving counsel as and when the need arose.
Already, the World Bank had made an offer to him to serve as
a Board Member of one of its Commissions. He also spoke
about other offers and said he was going to "pick and choose."
The Presiding Officer at the Station, Ms Gifty Abagri, said
they were expecting 1,057 potential voters to cast their ballots
there.
The figure includes officials and transfers.
As of 1000 hours, 230 voters had exercised their franchise at
the polling station compared to the 500 who had voted as of the
same time on December 7.