LIVE UPDATES: NPP elects leader

Graphic.com.gh Oct - 18 - 2014 , 10:31

The opposition New Patriotic Party’s presidential primary to elect a standard bearer for the 2016 Election is underway across the country.

Voting started at 7am and expected to end at 3pm at all 276 polling centres across the country.

Hot favourite and two-time flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, two-time attempted presidential aspirant Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen and new kid on the block, Mr Francis Addai Nimoh, are seeking the mandate of the over 140,000 delegates.

Below are live updates of the elections

3:11 pm - Counting has began at the Madina Constituency

3:10 pm - A total of 557 people had cast their vote out of an expected 899 at the Dome Kwabenya constituency. Voting continues.

3:09 pm - Counting of votes has started in the Wa Central Constituency

3:00 pm - At exactly 3pm the doors to the voting hall at the GAEC Primary School was closed

Reports indicate the process has been generally peaceful as of now apart from a few incidents at some polling centres.

2:47 pm - Voting in most parts of the Ashanti Region appear to have ended earlier than the scheduled 3pm

01:30 pm - Contrary to instructions that voters who display the candidate of their choice at the polling station after marking the ballot paper will have their votes nullified, a few infractions were observed at one of the polling stations in the Tema Metropolis reports Benjamin Xornam Glover.

At the El Paso voting center at Community 1 in the Tema East Constituency, two voters on the blind side of the Presiding Officer and other Electoral Commission staff, openly displayed their ballot papers after thumb printing their choice of candidate before dropping it into the ballot box.

Per operating instructions issued for the conduct of the primaries, voting shall be by secret ballot and persons who openly display the candidate they voted for would have their ballot rejected.

However agents of the candidates who witnessed the act of some of the voters did not raise a protest.

As at 10:30 am when the Daily Graphic arrived at the Tema East Constituency polling center, voting was underway with 241 out of the 643 delegates already casting their votes.

At the Republic Road Cluster of schools where that of Tema Central Constituency was held, 345 out of the 436 delegates had voted by 11:45am.

The Presiding Officer, Mr Samuel Jerry Ankomah told Graphiconline the process was peaceful with no incidents.

The MP for Tema Central, Kofi Brako who was also acting as a polling agent said the process was calm devoid of tension.

12:30 pm - 600 out of the 750 delegates at the Trobo constituency in the Greater Accra region had voted by 12:30 pm reports Abdul Aziz.

Delegates were seen in a celebratory mood as the process was almost over at the Sound Foundation School in Tantra Hill where the election was taking place.

12:10 pm - As of midday, 303 out of a total of 898 people had voted at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Primary School, where the the Dome Kwabenya Constituency election was being held, reports Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho.

Mr Seth Agbedu, the presiding officer told Graphiconline that the only hitch was that three people could not find their names in the register, a situation which he said was being resolved.

Below is a video of the misunderstanding that ensued at the NPP headquarters

{youtube}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HWvU2vOyJk{/youtube}

12:00 pm - Voting at the various centres in the Central Region was progressing smoothly reports Shirley Asiedu Addo. The Central Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Philomena Edusei said there was no unresolved challenges as of now.

“I spoke to my district directors and everything is under control, things are going smoothly,” she said.

At the Cape Coast South constituency 212 delegates out of the expected 466 delegates had cast their votes at of 10:20am

The Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA), Dr Nana Ato Arthur said the voting at Kissi in the KEEA constituency was going on smoothly.

The Central Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwamena Duncan said reports from the various constituencies indicated more than two thirds of delegates had cast their votes as off 12 noon.

“So far it has been good. No problems and we are happy about this, he said.

11: 30 am - Victor Kwawukume reported from the Social Welfare Centre at Madina Constituency that the process was peaceful. Out of a total of 780 delegates, 500 had

11:00 am - From Tamale Samuel Duodu reported that voting delayed in some parts of the Northern Region. Instead of 7am voting started at 9am and the delay was attributed to mis-communication at the Regional level.

200 out of the 429 delegates in the Wulensi constituency of the Northern region could not find their names in the register.

There were similar hitches at the Tamale South and Salaga South constituencies. However the party executives were working to rectify the anomalies

The 229 delegates out of the 429 in the Wulensi constituency who had their names in the register however threatened to boycott the elections if the 200 others whose names did not appear were not allowed to vote.

In an interview, the Northern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Ayisi Bruce said a total of 108 polling officers have been recruited for the exercise in the region.

Delegates in the four constituencies in Tamale, namely Tamale North, Central, South and Sagnarigu were casting their votes at the School of Hygiene, Tamale Stadium, Ghana-Libya school and the 1st November School at Gurugu respectively.

At the School of Hygiene voting centre a total of 34 people out of the 292 delegates have cast their votes as of 11:00 am.

A total of 13, 160 delegates are expected to cast their votes at 32 constituencies.

10:45 am - A total of 340 out of 786 delegates have voted at Anyaa Sowutuom constituency.

10:38 am - Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor reported from Kumasi that voting was taking place at the Atonsu M/A School for the Asokwa constituency where 100 delegates out of a total of 495 had voted by 10:38 am. Some misunderstanding arose as some delegates could not find their names in the register. The Ashanti Regional Chairman , Antwi Boasiako was on hand to calm tempers.

10: 35 am - Severious Kale Dery reported that voting was progressing smoothly at the Adenta constituency where the elections was being held at the NPP office in Adenta.

10:20 am - Musah Yahaya Jafaru reported that a total of 142 out of the 404 delegates at the Ayawaso East constituency had voted as of 10:20am. The election was taking place at the ACC voting centre.

10:15 am - Nana Akufo Addo, the hot favourite and two-time flag bearer cast his ballot at the party's national headquarters at Assylum down.

10:11am - One of the contestants Francis Addai Nimoh cast his ballot at the Mampong constituency in the Ashanti region.

10:10 am – Abdul Aziz reported from the Amasaman constituency that there were some disturbances at the Mother and Child Community Centre where the election was being held.

This was after some 10 voters from the Railway Line Polling stations A and B could not find their names in the register.

9:40 am - From the Upper West region Michael Quaye reported that the process was smooth and peaceful. At the Wa Central Constituency, 42 delegates had cast their votes as of 9:40 a.m., with a growing queue of voters beginning to form as the process continued in the morning.

Indeed, the peaceful process had rendered the sizeable police presence almost redundant all morning. Michael Quaye reported.

The regional chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Abubakar, said he expected the orderly process to prevail across the region since “it is only an internal contest and nothing more; whoever wins is our member”.

A total of 5,211 delegates are expected to vote in the 11 constituencies of the Upper West Region, with Wa Central’s 707 delegates being the highest and the 251 of Nadowli East being the lowest.

9:30 am - Seth Bokpe reported that there was some misunderstanding at the NPP Headquarters over proxy voting and the election was yet to start as of 9:30am.

9:20 am - Doreen Andoh reported from the Anyaa Sowutuom constituency that 786 delegates were voting in a peaceful environment. 200 delegates had voted as of 9:20am.

9:00 am - Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu reported 20 out of 534 delegates had voted at the Takoradi R/C School by 9 am.

Below are images from the elections

{gallery}npp_elections{/gallery}