The battle line has been drawn at the Tain Constituency as the NDC and NPP have both moved their ‘war machines’ to the area to solicit votes in today’s presidential run-off which was suspended on 28th December 2008.
The hitherto quiet and serene farming communities in the constituency are now being bombarded with noisy party songs and slogans as the two leading parties seek votes for NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and NDC’s Prof John Evans Atta Mills.
The Tain polls decides who becomes the next president on Wednesday, when President John Agyekum Kufuor steps down.
Across the length and breath of the constituency, Toyota Land Cruisers, Pajeros and camouflaged pick-up vans could be seen running at high speed.
The road from Nsawkaw, the constituency capital to the Bui Dam which is under construction seems to be the busiest as speeding vehicles overtake each other in order to reach villages along the stretch of road.
All hotels in Techiman, Wenchi and Nsawkaw are fully booked in advance for today’s election. ÂÂÂ
Foot-soldiers of both the NDC and NPP are busily going from house to house, explaining issues to the people. ÂÂÂ
Whereas the NPP foot-soldiers were telling the electorate that the NDC rigged the election in the Volta Region, the NDC foot-soldiers were also alleging that the NPP rigged the election in the Ashanti Region.
In an interview with the DCE of Tain, Hajia Bintu Farazina, she said everything was under control, and appealed to the people of the area to comport themselves during and after the election. She assured them that the presence of soldiers and other security forces in the area was not to intimidate anyone but to maintain law and order since Tain was going to decide who should be the next president of Ghana.
The Tain constituency is one of the newly-created constituencies in the country with Nsawkaw as its capital. The people are predominantly framers who cultivate yam, maize, groundnut and millet. ÂÂÂ
The Bui Dam Project is located at Tain where the White Volta passes.
Registered voters at Tain is 53,000 but only 32,888 voted during the December 7 presidential election.
Richard Obour, an NPP staunch member broke away to stand as an independent candidate when he was disqualified by the Brong Ahafo Regional Executive of the party.
Hon. Joe Danquah went unopposed and lost to Mr. Ahmed of the NDC with a margin of about two thousand votes. ÂÂÂ
Mr. Obour, the independent candidate, was able to garner more than three thousand votes.
From Eric Bawah, Nsawkaw