Constituency Threaten To Boycott The Election

Some disgruntled voters at the Golden Gate A and B polling stations in the Tema West constituency are threatening to boycott the polls due to delays of electoral material.

The expectant electorates who had queued up since last night bemoaned the ‘lackadaisical’ attitude of the Electoral Commission (EC) insisting that the challenges are elementary therefore the Commission should have been proactive.

The about two thousand eight hundred and thirty (2,830) eligible voters have resolved not to vote when the electoral materials arrive at the polling station.

The agitated crowd nearly lynched the Presiding Officer for the centre when she tried to offer an explanation for the delay. They suspect the delay is a recipe to rig the elections to favour the ruling party.

It took the intervention of the political party agents present at the scene to avert the pandemonium.

In an interview with Myjoyonline.com, the Presiding Officer, Madam Azumah blamed the Returning Officer of the EC for the blunder.

According to her, she was at the polling station at exactly 5:30 am to receive the electoral materials only to be told by the returning officer that he had lost his way to the polling station.

The frustrated presiding officer indicated that frantic efforts were being made to ensure the materials get to the polling station.

However, the situation was the opposite at the Good Shepherd EP Church polling station where at exactly 5:00 am they had received all electoral materials.

When Myjoyonline.com got to the polling station, voters were sitting patiently for the 7 am voting time to cast their ballot.

Mr. Kojo Mensah, the presiding officer for the Good Shepherd disclosed that about one thousand five hundred and thirty (1,530) electorate will exercise their franchise at the polling station.

He stated that all the materials needed for a smooth process including the verification machine had been provided by the EC.

Kojo Mensah was optimistic that voting will be over before the 5 pm closing time.

The Tema West parliamentary seat is being fiercely contested by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The incumbent Member of Parliament Irene Naa Torshie of the NPP is being challenged by the Minister of Local government Samuel Ofosu Ampofo of the NDC.