Ayawaso West Wuogon By-Election: NPP’s Lydia Alhassan Romps Home With Victory  

By News Desk

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections, Madam Lydia Alhassan was, as at the time of going to press yesterday, leading with a wide margin over her other three contenders.

Results which were trickling in from some polling centres in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency put Lydia Alhassan in such poll position that even when the rest of the votes were shared for the other contending candidates none could come close the widow’s votes.

Political parties that vied for the vacant seat were the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).

The candidates were: Lydia Seyram Alhassan (NPP); Kwasi Delali Brempong (NDC); William Dowokpor (PPP); and Clement Boadi of the LPG.

Reports from few of the 137 polling stations revealed that the wife of deceased MP Kyeremanten Agyarko would be romping home with victory.

For instance, the provisional result from the Methodist primary B for instance showed: Delali Brempong: 38, William Doworkpor: 0, Clement Boadi: 2, Lydia Alhassan: 152, with total votes cast being 194.

The result did not come as surprising as Lydia Alhassan’s biggest contender, NDC’s Kwasi Brempong supposedly withdrew from the contest after a shooting incident early in the morning which NDC alleged recorded some deaths.

But, the Ghana Police service has debunked claims that lives have been lost in the shooting incident recorded earlier yesterday at the La Bawaleshie voting center during the by-election.

According to the police, six persons were injured during the shooting incident, and have been sent to the 37 military and Legon hospitals for treatment.

However, in a statement, the Police service also disclosed that the Inspector-General had directed the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department to speed up investigations into the incident.

According to the Police Service, calm has been restored to the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.

“The attention of the police administration has been drawn to a shooting incident at Bawaleshie, Accra this morning, in the course of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election, leading to the injury of six persons.  As of now, there is no record of death resulting from the shooting incident.”

“Calm has been restored to the area, and the six injured persons are responding to treatment at the Legon and 37 military hospitals. Further, the Inspector-General of Police has directed the Director-General/Criminal Investigations department to speed up investigations into the incident”.

The Police Service also called on residents and voters in and around the constituency to remain calm and go about their duties freely without fear, as more police officers have been deployed in the area to forestall any other violence.

NDC orchestrated Ayawaso West Wuogon violence – NPP

Meanwhile, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), believes that the violence that took place in some voting centres within the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, was orchestrated by the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, to discredit the election.

Addressing the media later on Wednesday, the NPP’s Director of Communications, Yaw Buabeng 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 said their conviction is further strengthened by the fact that the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prapram, Sam George, who claimed he was shot, sustained no gunshot wounds, but is still alive and kicking.