TMA rejects President's nominee

Tamale, March 09, GNA - The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly on Thursday did not approve the nomination of Alhaji Iddrisu Adam as the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for the second time.

Forty-four out of the 77-member assembly voted in favour of Alhaji Adam representing 57.14 per cent, 32 voted against him and a vote was disqualified.

President John Agyekum Kufuor is, therefore, expected to make fresh nomination to the Assembly.

Mr Sylvester Kanyi, Electoral Officer who supervised the elections, said Alhaji Adam failed to secure two-thirds of the votes cast and could, therefore, not go for a second round of voting. Mr Abdul Rahan Gundadoo, Presiding Member of the Assembly said; "the results declared is the will of God" and appealed to the members to allow peace to prevail in the Assembly.

Alhaji Adam, the rejected candidate who was also the former MCE, said he had accepted the results in good faith adding though the Assembly had rejected him, he was prepared to serve the people in any capacity.

"What happened has happened and nothing can be done about it, what I want is that peace should prevail in the Assembly. If Allah speaks, no one can challenge his will and I am prepared to serve in any capacity in the Metropolis," he said.

The Assembly had been grappling with the issue of the appointment of a Chief Executive since September 2005 that had resulted in a struggle among the members.

During the first time when the Assembly rejected his nomination, President Kufuor asked him to act and he had been in that position to date.