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12.06.2012 PPP

PPP Elects Aspirants For Weija, Okaikoi North

12.06.2012 LISTEN
By Dominic Moses Awiah - Daily Graphic

The Progressive People’s Party on Saturday elected parliamentary aspirants for the Okaikoi North and Weija constituencies.

At Weija where it was an all female affair, Mrs Jessica Adwoa Simpson, also known as Adwoa Ghana, was elected with 396 votes. She beat Mrs Ruth Quaye, a Project Consultant, who had 278.

Mr Mike Eghan Jnr was given the nod to represent the party at the Okaikoi North Constituency. He polled 439 votes while his contender, Umaru Nuhu, secured 383 votes.

At Weija, card bearing members of the party in the constituency, who were qualified to elect a parliamentary aspirant started forming queues before noon and in four hours time they had completed casting their ballot.

Initially, there was confusion because some people who were holding endorsed party cards but whose details were not captured in the poll book were turned away.

Long queues were formed as a result of the cumbersome processes. A voter had to join a queue, check his or her name in the poll book which contained over 1,800 names before receiving the ballot paper to vote.

Party officials resorted to ways and means to ameliorate the suffering of those who had stood in the queues for a long time, especially for the disabled, pregnant women as well as old men and women. Such people were made to jump the queues and vote.

Those who could not bear the boredom resorted to dancing Azonto, which attracted both old and young.

Surprisingly, after the Electoral Commission (EC) officials had declared Adwoa Ghana the winner, she went straight into her car and drove off, however the loser, Mrs Quaye, was carried shoulder high and started jubilating and granting interviews to reporters around to the admiration of party supporters.

According to her, it was a family affair which had produced no individual winner or loser. She pledged to support the winner and the party to secure the seat.

To ensure that what took place at Weija did not happen at Okaikoi North, the polling centres were divided into three. However, some people were turned aware due to impersonation. A card was seized from a man who had wanted to vote because he had removed the original photograph embossed on the card and changed the name from Judith Oklu to Francis Oklu.

The police at all the centres had a free day because there was no nasty incident to warrant their attention.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Richmond Keelson, a Communications Director of the party, noted that the party never entertained polling agents from any of the aspirants, and explained that this was in line with the party’s abhorrence of the situation where polling agents represented parties during national polls.

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