Ghana Post Elections

The Electoral Commission (EC) has given an assurance that the register to be used for the conduct of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election today is clean and has not been tampered with. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) which occupied the seat until the death of its Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, on November 31, 2018, has also dismissed allegations by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of a bloated register as being untrue and baseless. The assurance by the EC and the dismissal of the allegation by the NPP follow a release signed by the acting Director of Elections of the NDC, Mr Bede Ziedeng, alleging that the EC was determined to frustrate the NDC by its refusal to provide the party with an updated version of the voters register because the EC had illegally increased the voters list. The NDC recounted that it had written to the EC some time in December 2018 for the updated voters register of the constituency used in the 2016 general elect...

The wait is over as Dagbon will breathe a sigh of relief with the outdooring of a new Yaa Naa after 17 years protracted chieftaincy dispute. Abubakari Mahama II will be crowned as the new king of Dagbon today in a ceremony which will never be forgotten in the history of Dagbon. Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama was selected by Dagbon Kingmakers last Friday, January 18, 2019, in Yendi after the burial of both Yaa Naa Mahamadu Abdulai and Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II. This feat was achieved with the help of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs led by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. The Committee was set up by former President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2002 to find a lasting solution to the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy dispute. Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday arrived in Tamale Thursday ahead of the coronation. Coronation As part the coronation process, there would be a recital of the Holy Quran at the forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace in the morning befo...

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a final step towards electing its 2020 flagbearer on February 23. It completed the balloting among the seven aspirants. Below is the way it turned out:- Mr. Alban Sumana Bagbin; Mr. Nurudeen Iddrisu; Mr. John Dramani Mahama; Mr. Sylvester Mensah; Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah; Mr. Goosie Tanoh; Prof. Joshua Alabi. The question is – WHO WILL WIN? As a backgrounder, below is a story we first published on January 18, 2019” “NDC FLAGBEARERSHIP RACE – MAHAMA LIKELY TO WIN WITH AT LEAST 65% CREDIT: First Published in the Daily Dispatch of Dec. 19, 2018 NDC’S 2020 FLAGBEARER SLOT THE FINAL 7 – WILL JDM MAINTAIN HIS 65% LEAD? A Political Desk Report By the close of submission of nomination forms, seven leading members had completed the final phase to be vetted and if approved, contest the January 26, 2019 election. The winner of this election will be the 2020 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The seven (not in any particular orde...

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Thursday said it would use the 2016 Voter Register to conduct the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election, slated for January 31, 2019. The Deputy Chairperson of the EC, Mr Samuel Tettey, briefing the media on the Commission’s preparation towards the upcoming by-election, discounted the allegations that the EC had compiled a new register for the election. “We have constantly involved all political parties at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee in every process. We are, therefore, surprised that any party will allege that a different register will be used,” he said. “The rules have not changed. Whoever gets the most number of votes, wins the election”. Level playing field Mr Tettey assured all political parties that the EC would ensure a level playing field for all candidates. “We have a robust system so no one can rig the election in favour of any other party. The rules of the elections are the same. You need to establish your identity as to who ...

The vacant Ayawaso west Wuogon parliamentary seat is up for grabs and a by election scheduled for 31st January will tell us who gets to win The seat, previously occupied by the New Patriotic Party’s Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, whose demise opened the door for a constitutionally mandated by-election, is being contested by four parties. The new Patriotic party NPP, National Democratic Congress NDC, Progressive People’s party PPP and Liberal Party of Ghana LPG. The candidates 1. Lydia Seyram Alhassan NPP – Number 4 on the ballot paper, she is the wife of the late Member of parliament for the same constituency and is expected to retain the seat for NPP. She is widely seen as the favourite as her Hteam and the national executives of the party have been campaigning aggressively for her. She was seen as the campaign manager for her late husband and very popular in the constituency. 2. Delali Kwesi Brempong NDC – He is Number 1 on the ballot paper. The NDC’s representative for the upc...

Hajia Mahama said per the constitutional standard required to approve the referendum amendment, at least 40 per cent of the persons entitled to vote in Ghana must vote at the referendum. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hajia Alima Mahama, has said a referendum leading to the amendment of the Article 55 (3) of the Constitution would be held alongside the district elections in September. Hajia Mahama, Minister of Local Goverment & Rural Development The article, which is an entrenched provision, states that “Subject to the provisions of this Article, a political party is free to participate in shaping the political will of the people, to disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes of a national character; and sponsor candidates for election to any public office other than to the District Assemblies or lower local government units”. She said an amendment to this article was critical if MMDCEs would be elected on a partisan basi...

A $74-million contract awarded to the Jospong Group and its affiliates for the supply of one million litter bins and 900,000 bin liners has been cancelled for non-performance. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, on November 7, 2016 entered into five separate contracts with five subsidiaries of the Jospong Group to provide the litter bins and bin liners. The companies, per the contract, were to supply and distribute the items within 12 months after signing the contract. However, a letter dated November 29, 2018 and signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr C.K. Dodenu, said: “I have been directed to invite our attention to the fact that the contracts have lapsed on account of non-performance by the contracting companies.  “Accordingly, the listed contracts have elapsed on their own terms per Clause 34 (a), as the companies failed to deliver the one million bins and nine hundred thousand bin liners within t...

The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, is not in agreement with assertions that appointing ministers from Parliament, will weaken the law making body. He argued that in other countries that have adopted the Westminster system, “it works very effective.” “…I don’t agree that because the President appoints ministers from Parliament, Parliament by necessary is weakened, and because of that we should have the president appointing ministers from outside Parliament. I don’t agree with the justification when people say that Parliament will be weakened when ministers are appointed from Parliament,” he added in a Citi News interview on Tuesday. This follows the call by the Rector of GIMPA, Professor Phillip Ebow Bondzie-Simpson at the maiden Constitution Day Lecture for MPs not to be made Ministers as is currently the situation. According to him, burdening individuals with the responsibility of representing their people in parliament and servi...

The National Women’s Organizer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dr. Hanna Bisiw has defended her call for Ghanaian men to reject plans for the delivery of blood and other medical supplies using drones. Dr. Bisiw, speaking at a party event in Asamankese over the weekend, sparked controversy when she argued that the remote-controlled drones will invade the privacy of women who take their bath in open spaces. Late last year, the government contracted the services of Zipline to supply and operate the medical drones at a cost of $12 million in a bid to address emergency health situations. The drones will deliver blood and other critical medical supplies to inaccessible areas in the country. Parliament eventually passed the services agreement between Fly Zipline and government by a vote of 102-58 amidst heavy criticisms that the move was a misplaced priority. But months after the deal was signed, Hanna Bisiw in a Citi News  interview insists that the drones ...

The Director of Communications of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, is of the view that although the party has done enough for Ghanaians, it needs to focus more on ongoing initiatives instead of introducing new initiatives. The public continues to wonder if indeed the NPP is delivering on its mandate with its myriad of promises to Ghanaians in the run to the 2016 general elections. But speaking on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News on Tuesday to assess the two years of the Akufo-Addo government, the Adentan MP said the party has performed creditably, but insists that there is the need to shift attention in order to re-energize the government. “I think we are doing too much and that we will benefit from consolidating what we have done and investing more in where we have gotten. Many of the things we are doing, is turning out results, but those results need fine-tuning. Many of our promises have been validated because we are now implementing them ...

A group of National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates in Greater Accra have expressed worry over the ruling New Patriotic Party’s open support for former President John Mahama’s candidature in the NDC flagbearership race for 2020. At a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, the group, led by Mr. Abubakari Seidu, a branch Youth Organiser flanked at the high table by Mr Francis Anyidoho, Branch Secretary and Mr John Mensah, a branch executive, wondered why out of all the flagbearer hopefuls of the NDC, it was only former President Mahama who enjoyed the support of NPP. “Many leading members of the NPP including; the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wuntumi and the Tema West Constituency Chairman, Mr Dennis Amfo Sefah, alias Nana Boakye, have recently made public statements at separate interviews and alleged that because Mr. Mahama is easy to beat, they preferred him as NDC flagbearer for 2020” Mr. Abubarkari Seidu said. According to him, Executives o...

Former President John Dramani Mahama says it is appalling that President Nana Akufo-Addo is not matching his promise with delivery on the issue of corruption. Nana Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) made the fight against corruption a major plank of their campaign ahead of the 2016 general elections. But many people have expressed dissatisfaction over the president’s handling of allegations of corruption against his ministers and other appointees. Addressing delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Axim in the Evalue-Gwira constituency on Tuesday as part of his five-day flagbearership campaign tour of the Western Region, Mr Mahama said the President has consistently cleared his appointees of corruption allegations, pointing out that that is at variance with his promises in opposition. Speaking on issues affecting fishermen, Mr Mahama said the rising cost of pre-mix fuel and the astronomical prices of outboard motors are taking a toll on the sector. He therefore ...

The Electoral Commission (EC) has defended the integrity of the recent referenda held in the country to create six additional regions. Dr. Bossman Asare, a commissioner of the electoral management body, said the referenda provided the platform for people to express their preference. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE on the integrity of the referenda which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has consistently presented as a sham, he said “all we did was to provide a platform for the people to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’.” On the suspicion that there was something wrong with the unusual large voter turnout which is not the picture seen during national polls, he said the circumstances underpinning the recent referenda are unlike general elections. “Chiefs and political parties all joined hands to campaign for people to turn out and vote for the creation of regions. “People were asked to go and vote for the creation of regions and enjoy the benefits of developments such as having for the first time regi...