Kumasi business district deserted, ahead of the official declaration of the election results

Brisk business at the central business district of Adum in the Kumasi metropolis on Tuesday came to an abrupt end in the afternoon ahead of the official declaration of results of the presidential run off by the Electoral Commission.
Traders and shoppers started deserting the business district at midday and by 4pm; almost all shops in the area had been closed.
This followed tensions which had characterised the declaration of the election results following projections on some radio stations that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had won the elections, which was later disputed by the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Some traders told the Daily Graphic that they had information that shop owners in Accra had closed their shops so they decided to do likewise.
Others said they feared for their lives since they were not sure of the outcome of the results and its subsequent reactions by supporters of the political parties, hence they decided to close their shops and go home.By 4pm when the Daily Graphic toured the business district, there were only snippets of traders hanging around.
Many people were spotted rushing to the various lorry stations to board vehicles to their homes.
Workers of the central business district traffic management project responsible for the issuance of tickets for the paid parking system had all closed from work and were going home.
Some of them who spoke to the Daily Graphic said that since everybody was deserting the business district, they also decided to close work and go home, fearing for their lives.
Hitherto, business in the area boosted even on Christmas Day, December 25, Boxing Day December 26 as well as on Election Day on December 28.

Ashanti Results

SUBIN
NPP 51,216
NDC 17,731
valid 68,947
rejected 227
total 69,174

KWABRE EAST
NPP 50,502
NDC 11,796
valid 62,298
rejected 435
total 62,733

KWABRE WEST
NPP 31,171
NDC 5,996
valid 37,167
rejected 183
total 37,350

AHAFO ANO SOUTH
NPP 25,214
NDC 15,391
valid 40,605
rejected 457
total 41,062

AFIGYA SEKYERE WEST
NPP 15,794
NDC 5,019
valid 20,813
rejected 215
total 21,028

AFIGYA SEKYERE EAST
NPP 40,788
NDC 9,641
valid 50,429
rejected 423
total 50,852

MAMPONG
NPP 32,618
NDC 8,854
valid 41,472
rejected 218
total 41,690

ODOTOBRI
NPP 26,896
NDC 3,613
valid 30,509
rejected 330
total 30,839

AMANSIE WEST
NPP 46,757
NDC 7,783
valid 54,540
rejected 539
total 55,079

ASANTE AKIM NORTH
NPP 44,586
NDC 14,824
valid 59,410
rejected 385
total 59,795

BOSOME FREHO
NPP 17,810
NDC 4,044
valid 21,854
rejected 178
total 22,032

BEKWAI
NPP 43,539
NDC 5,862
valid 49,401
rejected 233
total 49,634

NSUTA KWAMANG
NPP 21,424
NDC 7,551
valid 28,975
rejected 410
total 29,385

OBUASI
NPP 52,019
NDC 26,243
valid 78,262
rejected 359
total 78,621

AHAFO ANO NORTH
NPP 17,460
NDC 14,836
valid 32,296
rejected 259
total 32,555

AKROFROM -ADANSI SOUTH
NPP 9,635
NDC 5,354
valid 14,987
rejected 156
total 15,145

EJURA SEKYEDUMASI
NPP 18,224
NDC 21,692
valid 39,916
rejected 344
total 40,260

BOSOMTWE
NPP 31,105
NDC 7,181
valid 38,286
rejected 245
total 38,531

ATWIMA KWANWOMA
NPP 39,147
NDC 6,564
valid 45,711
rejected 261
total 45,972

NEW EDUBIASE
NPP 10,644
NDC 16,775
valid 27,419
rejected 355
total 27,774

ASANTE AKIM SOUTH
NPP 28,455
NDC 13,911
valid 42,366
rejected 346
total 42,712

ATWIMA NWABIAGYA
NPP 63,272
NDC 16,514
valid 79,786
rejected 411
total 80,197

ASOKWA
NPP 47,662
NDC 13,971
valid 61,633
rejected 264
total 61,897

OFORIKROM
NPP 45,866
NDC 25,212
valid 71,078
rejected 348
total 71,426

ASAWASI
NPP 28,441
NDC 38,357
valid 66,798
rejected 334
total 67,132

KWADASO
NPP 62,110
NDC 8,876
valid 70,986
rejected 344
total 71,330

OFFINSO SOUTH
NPP 29,538
NDC 12,266
valid 41,804
rejected 385
total 42,189

OFFINSO NORTH
NPP 17,431
NDC 11,805
valid
rejected 548
total 29784

EJISU JUABEN
NPP 65187
NDC 13535
valid 78722
rejected 417
total 79139

KUMAWU
NPP 23,400
NDC 7540
valid 30,904
rejected 278
total 31,192

EFFIDUASE ASOKORE
NPP 20,377
NDC 5115
valid 25,492
rejected 206
total 25,698

NHYIAESO
NPP 54,545
NDC 11,861
valid 66,406
rejected 161
total 66,567

BANTAMA
NPP 56,227
NDC 8,532
valid 64,759
rejected 169
total 64,928

ADANSI ASOKWA
NPP 14,670
NDC 10,634
valid 25,304
rejected 356
total 25,660

FOMENA
NPP 13,583
NDC 3,996
valid 17,579
rejected 185
total 17,764

ATWIMA MPONUA
NPP 30,960
NDC 17,086
valid 48,046
rejected 468
total 48,514

MANHYIA
NPP 95,281
NDC 20,210
valid 115,491
rejected 319
total 115,882

OLD TAFO
NPP 47,476
NDC 13,416
valid 60,892
rejected 198
total 61,090

SUAME
NPP 67,790
NDC 10,368
valid 78,158
rejected 238
total 78,396

The Presidential Run off

Voting in the Ashanti region got off to a peaceful start on Sunday with long winding queues seen at many polling stations for the second round of presidential elections when the polls opened in the morning.
However by midday, the police had arrested a total of 15 people for various electoral offences including malpractice, impersonation, violence, creation of confusion and preventing some eligible voters from casting their ballot.
A 72-year old man whose name was only given as Asare was arrested for allegedly placing a material on a stamp pad at one of the polling stations at Atimatim in the Kwabre West constituency.
The act was detected by one voter who saw that a material had been placed on the stamp pad which caused thumb prints on the ballot paper to appear faint.
As soon as the act was detected, many voters came to complain that they realised that their thumbprints were faint on the ballot papers even though they pressed hard on the ink pad.
The 72-year old man, who was hanging around the polling station, was later identified as the person who caused the act and was arrested by the crowd who attempted to lynch him but for the timely intervention of the security personnel.
There was a resultant confusion at the polling station which caused voting to be halted for a while until calm prevailed at the place following a security re-enforcement.
When the 72-year-old man was arrested, it was detected that he had an observer’s card, which he told the police that it was given to him by regional officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Electoral officials however detected that the observer’s card he was holding was a fake one.
Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the man had been taken into custody for further investigations but declined to give his name.
In another incident, an electoral official at the Kodie Methodist Primary Polling Station also in the Kwabre West constituency was arrested for malpractice.
The official was said to have stamped a ballot paper on the position of the NDC candidate before giving it to a voter to cast the ballot.
When the voter saw the anomaly, he alerted other officials and the security personnel and the said official was arrested.
In other instances, persons who were said to be creating confusion and preventing some eligible voters to cast their vote were also arrested at various areas.
Among those arrested for creating confusion at polling stations included political party agents.
Inspector Tanko told the Daily Graphic that after such agents were arrested, they told the police that they were being vigilant in their supervisory roles and by doing so, some people caused the police to arrest them, alleging that they were creating confusion.
The Public Relations Officer said the police were investigating all those cases to find out how authentic the complaints were.
There had been reports of some arrests at Kofiase in the Mampong area, where persons who were said to have attempted to snatch ballot boxes were also arrested by the police by the time of filing this report.
Again there was a report of the arrest of another EC official at Kumawu for stamping ballot papers before giving it out to voters to cast their vote but the Police Public Relations officer was unable to confirm it as of the time of filing this report.
At Ashanti New Town, near the Abbey’s park a youngman was beaten up by the crowd. It was alleged that he was hanging around the area with intentions of wanting to snatch a ballot box. He was also handed over to the police.
Inspector Tanko said the Police were closely monitoring the situation.
Earlier in the morning queues started forming at various polling stations at dawn long before election officials arrived with the electoral materials.
In areas such as Santasi, Fankyenebra , Atasemanso, Adiembra, Patasi, South Suntreso and Kwadaso all in the Nhyiaeso constituency where the Daily Graphic visited around 4am the scene was no different as there were long queues at the polling stations.
The voters explained that they anticipated a higher turnout and that they wanted to be among the first people to cast their ballot so as to be able to go out and do other businesses for the day.
Jones Bosomtwe, a resident of Anyinam said he had to travel outside Kumasi hence he decided to wake up early to cast his ballot.
Like Jones many voters also said they were up early in other to avoid waiting in queue for longer hours before casting their ballot during the day.
In all the areas visited voters joined queues in calm atmosphere and waited for their turn when the polls opened at 7am.
Officials of the Electoral Commission arrived at the polling stations on time and all electoral materials were readily available for a smooth process.
Madam Georgina Nyantakyiwaa of Fankyenebra prayed for a free and fair exercise so as to enable the candidates accept the outcome of the verdict.
Mrs Ama Amofa of Santasi said that “God chooses a leader” and therefore called on the two candidates to accept the outcome of the verdict.
“We should be able to accept the outcome of the verdict provided it is free and fair”, she said.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Serwaa Kobi Ampem cast their ballot at the Manhyia Palace polling station at 11:45am.
Kumasi was generally calm as the voting got underway.
At the K.O. Osei Assibey Polling station, a total of 600 out of 691 persons on the electoral roll had cast their ballot by 1pm.
At Asokore Mampong, Asawase and Aboabo all in the Asawase constituency voters patiently waited in queue to cast their ballot peacefully as well as Ashanti New Town in the Manhyia constituency.
By 9am, the queue at the KTI polling station had diminished. 150 voters out of a total registered voter population of 722 had cast their ballot by then.