Lydia Alhassan wins Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election

Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan has replaced her husband as the Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency after winning the by-election held on Thursday in Accra.

Madam Alhassan, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, was the second wife of the late MP Mr Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko.

She polled 68.80 per cent of the valid votes cast.

Her closest challenger, Mr Kwasi Delali Brempong of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) polled 30.52 per cent while Mr William Kofi Dowokpor of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and Mr Clement Boadi of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) polled 0.58 and 0.10 per cent respectively.

Breakdown

Mr Delali Kwasi Brempong - 5,341 (2nd)

Mr William Kofi Dowokpor - 102 (3rd)

Mr Clement Boadi - 17 (4th)

Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan - 12,041 (1st)

Total Valid Votes - 17,501

Total Rejected Votes - 88

Total Registered Voters - 88,710

Total Percentage Turn-Out - 19.83%

Total Polling Stations - 137

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Gunshots

The conduct of the polls was marred by a shooting incident at the residence of one of the aspirants,Mr Brempong; which resulted in injuries to 18 persons and an assault on an observer at one of the polling stations.

The Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service have commenced investigations into the shooting incident.

According to some eyewitnesses at the scene, members of vigilante groups affiliated to the NPP shot at NDC members who had gathered at Mr Brempong's to go and cast their votes.

At the La Bawaleshie School Park, the Member of Parliament of Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George who was observing the elections was allegedly assaulted by some unidentified persons.

The incident also resulted in the opposition party directing their agents to withdraw from the various polling stations.

However, the Communications Director of the NPP, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah discounted the allegations that the gunmen were affiliated to his party; insisting that the violence was orchestrated by the opposition NDC to discredit the election.

Addressing the media, Mr Asamoah, said: “this is a hugely orchestrated attempt by the NDC because they knew from the beginning that they were going to lose.”

Mr. Asamoah, who doubles as the MP for Adentan also accused the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prapram, Sam George, of exaggerating the attack on him.

Low Turnout

The Constituency has a total number of 88,710 registered voters across 137 polling stations but only 17, 589 of them voted in the poll out of which 88 votes were rejected by the Electoral Commission.

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History of the constituency

Madam Alhassan's victory brings to six the number of times the NPP has now won the Ayawaso West Wuogon seat, as against two by the NDC.

In the 2016 election,  Mr Agyarko of the NPP polled 32,591, representing 57.32 per cent; Delali Kwasi Brempong, NDC, 22,534, representing 39.63 per cent; William Dowokpor, PPP, had 1,099, representing 1.93 per cent; while Kweku Quansah of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) managed 638 votes, representing 1.12 per cent.

In 2012, Mr Agyarko of the NPP had 31,807, representing 50.30 per cent; Kwame Awuah-Darko of the NDC had 30,116 votes, representing 47.63 per cent; William Dowokpor, PPP, 998, 1.58 per cent; Antisem Donkor, CPP, 169, 0.27 per cent; Foster Apetor of the National Democratic Party (NDP), 74, 0.12 per cent, and Henry Haruna Asante, PNC, 68, representing 0.11 per cent.

In the 2008 election, the current Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Madam Akosua Frema Osei Opare, stood on the ticket of the NPP, and had 24,603, representing 48.24 per cent; Albert Kwadwo Twum Boafo of the NDC had 21,564, 42.28 per cent; William Dowokpor, then of the CPP, 1,910, representing 3.75 per cent, with Henry Haruna Asante of the PNC polling 374, representing 0.73 per cent.

The 2004 poll had Madam Osei Opare polling 28,636, representing 52.10 per cent; Samuel Adiepena, NDC, 20,828 which translates into 37.90 per cent; Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the CPP, 4,964, nine per cent, and Henry Haruna Asante of the PNC polled 506, representing one per cent.

For the 2000 election, Mr George Isaac Amoo of the NPP polled 17,555, representing 56.20 per cent; Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah of the NDC polled 11,388 votes, representing 36.50 per cent; Jane Chinebuah of the CPP polled 1,077, representing 3.50 per cent; Mary Elsie Yirenkyi of the NRP, 715, representing 2.30 per cent, and Samuel Addy of the PNC polling 477 votes representing 1.50 per cent.

The 1996 election had Rebecca Akweley Adotey of the NDC polling 15,089 votes, representing 35.10 per cent; George Isaac Amoo of the NPP had 14,795, 34.40 per cent (was challenged in court), Andrews La-Anyane of the PNC, 1,127, 2.60 per cent; Jane Chinebuah of the CPP, 852, two per cent, and an independent candidate, Joyce Abla Tamakloe, had 855, two per cent.

The 1992 parliamentary election had the Mr Francis Napoleon K. Kumah of the National Convention Party (NCP), an appendage of the NDC, winning.