Drama At ER Votting

Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Drama unfolded on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council in Koforidua where the Council of State election took place.

This was after one of the contestants, Rev. Paulina Yeboah, angrily stormed the hall just as voting was ending and demanded   that the regional election officers explained why the election should take place on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, February 25.

Mrs. Yeboah, one of the eight contestants seeking the mandate of the Electoral College to represent the region on the Council of State, was apparently misinformed by somebody that the election scheduled for Tuesday had been postponed to the following day.  

She entered the hall sweating profusely and nearly disrupted the voting process which had almost ended.

She accused the EC officials of deliberately 'twisting her arms' so the election would be held without her participation because she  believed they should have informed her that voting was taking place as scheduled.

The Regional Director of EC, Paul Boateng, was not happy about Mrs. Yeboah's accusations since according to him, the EC had all along maintained that the election was going to take place on Tuesday.

He said Mrs. Yeboah obtained her information from the wrong source and should have enquired from the EC office to verify the authenticity of her information.

In the election itself, one of the pre-election favourites, Dr Michael Agyekum Addo popularly called KAMA, was heavily beaten by the Chief of Anyinase, Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu III after one person had stepped down to support the Chief.

Two other contestants, Fred Ohene-Kena and Nana Kodua Kesse II, Chief Oyoko, also withdrew their candidacies before Tuesday's election.

Ampofo Duodu, a former lecturer of the University of Ghana also stepped down after the remaining five candidates had been presented to the 42-member Electoral College.

Mr. Duodu said he was stepping down for Osabarima Gyamadu III because he shared in the same ideals and objectives as him, adding that he believed the Chief of Anyinase would best represent the interest of the region.

KAMA's scientific presentation using a projector to show his humble beginning and greatest achievements in the society did not convince the voters much.

At the end of the voting, the unassuming 64-year-old Chief of Anyinase overwhelmingly won the mandate of the Electoral College, garnering 33 votes out of the 41 valid votes cast, Dr Agyekum Addo had just seven votes, while a 34-year-old former teacher of Koforidua Secondary Technical School had a single vote.

Dr Adolf Appiah who was perceived to be sympathetic to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had no vote.

The immediate past Regional Representative of the Council of State, Henry Asante, ironically was a member of the Electoral College which voted for the new Council of State member.

The Regional Minister, Mr. Ampofo thanked all those who participated in the election, and said he would work closely with the elected member to ensure the accelerated development of the region.

From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Koforidua