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Friday, March 29, 2024

Scuffle at Tema East NDC primaries leaves one injured

By Laudia Sawer and Thomas Darko, GNA     

Tema, Aug. 25, GNA – One person sustained
injuries on Saturday during the parliamentary primaries of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) in Tema East after a scuffle erupted during the
counting of ballots.

Mr Edga Adjetey Badu, Tema Community One,
Site 19 branch Chairman, NDC, sustained injuries on his face and chest as  his oozing blood soaked his white shirt and
collected on the floor as a result.

Mr Badu, who was also the polling agent for
Nii Tetteh Kraku Bediako, the contender to Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, immediate
past Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, allegedly created confusion at the
National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG) hall where the election was
held.

He recieved severe beatings from some
delegates after he was apprehended by the police for tearing up some of the
ballot papers during counting after he realized that his candidate was losing.

The election which hitherto was peaceful saw
delegates from Community One and Tema Newtown casting into different ballot boxes.

Community One was deemed as a stronghold of
Mr Bediako and Newtown, his waterloo.

Therefore when it became obvious that his
contender Mr Odamtten had made a headstart 
in Community One during counting, Mr Badu allegedly quickly grabbed the
sorted ballot papers of Tema Newton and started tearing them up.

He was subsequently arrested and counting
continued after which Mr Odamtten was declared the NDC parliamentary candidate
elect for Tema East after polling 891 out of the 1,161 votes cast while Mr Bediako
had 266 votes.

Meanwhile, Mr Bediako who was not a delegate
earlier on went to the centre to vote but was not allowed as his name was not
in the register.

Mr Odamtten in a victory message, commended
the police for ensuring peace and order at the centre.

He thanked executives and the delegates for
the confidence reposed in him and promised not to disappoint them.

He said the party was on a mission to serve
the people of Tema adding that he would start his work by empowering the
branches and wards of the party in the constituency.

GNA

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