NDC youth elections end in chaos as EC, police, abandon ballot boxes
Armed police officers wearing bullet proof vests whisked away the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Paul Boateng to safety, while other officers of the Commission and security agencies abandoned ballot boxes at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth congress to elect national youth organiser and two deputies.
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The EC could not declare the results. Provisionally Sidi Abubakar Musah polled 385 to beat the incumbent National Youth Organiser, Mr Ludwig Hlodze, who had 196 votes. It was the results of deputies that led to the chaos.
Voting and counting went on with very little encumbrances but just as Mr Boateng was about to mount the podium to declare the results, supporters of one of the only two female candidates among the nine persons vying for the Deputy national youth organiser position, Ms Abigail Ellorm Mensah raised red flags about the results.
They quickly utilised their right for recount, which the Chairman of the party's Electoral Committee, Mr Ken Dzirasah agreed and announced to the hearing of all gathered that there was going to be a recount.
However, to the utter surprise of many gathered at the Atonsu Youth Centre in Kumasi, immediately the EC officials brought the ballot boxes and tables to begin the recount, Mr Dzirasah swallowed his own words and asked Ms Mensah and his supporters that the result would be declared.
In fact, he advised them to seek legal redress if they had any suspicions that they had been cheated.
This unexpected turnaround by the elder of the party incensed the supporters of Ms Mensah, who vowed to ensure that the results were not declared.
Not even the might of the police, 15 of who surrounded Mr Boateng could pave the way for the announcement of the results for both the national youth organiser and that of the two deputies.
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Mr Dzirasah, the EC boss and Baba Ahmed Jamal were under siege for well over three hours. Led by Ms Mensah, the supporters insisted that either the votes were recounted or they would all stay till the end of time.
They claimed that their candidate would have been the second deputy national youth organiser and not the incumbent, Mr Kofi Fonu, who was believed to have beaten the lady by six votes.
Police officers looked on helplessly while one group of Ms Mensah’s supporters engaged the supporters of Mr Fonu in heated squabble. The other half also virtually held the trio of Mr Dzirasah, Mr Boateng and Baba Jamal hostage in the full glare of the police.
Tonnes of insults and curses were heaped on the three, who had sought refuge at the high table. The police would intermittently intervene and in some cases pleaded with the aggrieved persons to allow peace to prevail.
Elections
During the casting of votes, a member of the party wielding a local whip called kamoko, thrashed some other delegates he claimed were not behaving properly, a situation which culminated in a melee.
Others in retaliation inflicted some few slaps on the culprit, ending in a 30-minute free for all bout. The police intervened to restore calm.
As the time the Daily Graphic was leaving the centre around 9.20pm, the supporters of Mr Mensah were keeping watch over the ballot boxes, because all the party officials, both national and regional as well as other supporters had left the scene.
A sudden power outage to the venue sent many, including journalists running for dear life
FACT SHEET
Seven persons vied for the national youth organiser position.
Just before the voting, Marcus Garvin Adampah stepped down and pledged his support for Mr Hlodze.
Nine persons, including two females contested for the two slots for the national deputy youth organisers.
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