The overwhelming endorsement former President John Dramani Mahama received from delegates at the presidential primary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the weekend also got officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) overwhelmed counting his votes in the Upper East region.
Election observers and journalists captured the commission’s Presiding Officer in charge of the polls in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency, George Awuni, on camera when he paused to guzzle water as he tallied a stack of 973 ballots secured by the former ECOWAS boss out of the 1,019 total valid votes cast in that constituency.
Of the 10,976 total valid votes cast in the Upper East region, Mahama obtained 10,392 votes, representing 94.68%. Veteran legislator and former Health Minister, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, placed second in the region with 119 votes, representing 1.08%.
Founding member of the NDC, Augustus “Goosie” Tanoh, who broke away from the NDC in 1999 to form the National Reform Party (NRP) but returned to the party in 2008 after persistent pleas from the late President John Evans Atta Mills, finished third with 101 votes (0.92%). First Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) and ex-lawmaker for the Krowor Constituency, Professor Joshua Alabi, follows with 96 votes (0.87%).
Former Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States and Mexico and Minister of Communications, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, occupies the fifth position with 85 votes (0.77%). One-time Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Adinam Mensah, got 68 votes (0.62%) for the sixth position. And Alhaji Nurideen Iddrisu, an oil and gas consultant, finished in the last place with 24 votes (0.22%).
So enormous was Mahama’s popularity going into the Saturday’s polls that, even before voting started, some analysts in the region had said expectations were not about which of the seven candidates was going to win but about the gap by which Mahama was going to beat his competitors.
Some, hours to the polls, also had pointed out that the outcome of the Saturday’s primary (a victory for Mahama) was a forgone conclusion and in that regard were only engrossed in open debates as to who in the entire NDC bloodline would make the most suitable choice for Mahama as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2020 general elections.
Besides, several party supporters, whilst the polls were yet to open, were already looking forward to when Mahama would begin another nationwide tour to thank delegates for the sweeping endorsement. And as his lion’s share of the ballots was so widespread in the region, there is also a general feeling that the EC officials totalling his votes in the other 14 constituencies in the region must have paused midway into the marathon counting to grab water as it happened in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency.
Horace Ankrah on NPP and Mahama’s “Emphatic” Win
Reacting Monday to the 95.23% endorsement Mahama got nationwide at the Saturday’s polls, former Chairman of the United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter of the NDC, Ambassador Horace Nii Ankrah, told Starr News Mahama’s “emphatic” victory was a strong signal to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the 2020 general elections.
“There are so many things the NPP are doing now, they have done and are trying to do that have actually vindicated President Mahama— and the whole country has realised it. The actions and inactions of the NPP are enough reasons for Ghanaians to vote them out in 2020. When you look at corruption which they (the NPP) were trumpeting in 2016, they mentioned the AMERI deal. The renegotiation of the AMERI deal by the NPP in itself tells you how corrupt they are, what they attempted to do, resulting in the sacking of the Energy Minister. Again, the downward spiral of the economy— the closure of banks, the poor performance of the cedi against the dollar and the pound and a host of things— is a big ache in the heads of many Ghanaians home and abroad.
“Also take a look at the adhoc decisions in our educational system. Recently, President Akufo-Addo was even talking about the national curriculum being revised. This is not a government thing. The national curriculum is something that every ten years it is looked at and thorough consultation is done with stakeholders. The NPP hasn’t done that; government hasn’t done that. They call stakeholders together and just present them with what they think they (the NPP) are going to be doing— which is wrong,” said Ambassador Ankrah.
For the renowned diplomat, the manner the primary was conducted shows the NDC has come of age and the outcome an indication that it is united and focused.
“The party has emphatically endorsed him (Mahama) as the one to lead us into 2020 and capture victory to give Ghanaians a better life. And the way the whole exercise was conducted tells me that NDC in itself is now an adult in democracy.
“It sends a signal that the NDC is united. Mahama’s stance for the truth is what is going to propel us into victory in 2020. It’s a huge endorsement from the NDC family and it’s historical for a candidate to win in 274 constituencies and lose in only one constituency. And even that constituency is the constituency of one of the contestants; so, it is neither here nor there; it is of no importance. President Mahama should know that with this, he has the total support of every single NDC member,” he stated.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Edward Adeti
