Polls opened late at Railways Office Kotoku Polling Stations in the ongoing District Level Elections. 

Four polling stations: Railways Office Kotoku 1A, Railways Office Kotoku 1B, Railways Office Kotoku 2A and Railways Office Kotoku 2B, all started voting after 0700 hours, with some voters expressing disappointment at the situation.  

The GNA observed that all the centres set up around 0830 hours due to the late arrival of electoral materials. 

At all the four voters, only 10 persons had cast their votes as at 0903 hours. 

The stations are part of the 12 stations across the Kotoku Electoral Area. 

Three candidates are contesting the Assembly member position. 

They are Mr Francis Botchway, Madam Beatrice Badasu and Mr Newlove Odartei Mohammed Jonas Malm. 

With the Unit Committee members, the electorate have 18 members, four females, out of which five will be elected to represent the people on the Committee.  

Mr Christopher K. Sogblemu, the Presiding Officer (PO) of the Railways Office Kotoku 1A, said there were 561 voters on the register.  

He said the polls started late because he had to distribute electoral materials to other centres, including Amasaman, adding that he and his team started the distribution at 0200 hours. 

Mrs Margaret Denu, Presiding Officer for Railways Office Kotoku 1B Polling station, said 560 voters were expected to cast their ballots.  

At the Railways Office Kotoku 2A, Mr Michael Dorfenyo, the Presiding Officer, said 468 were on the voters’ register.  

Ishmael Nii Dodoo, the Presiding Officer for the Railways Office Kotoku 2B, told GNA that 467 voters were expected to vote, but only four had cast their votes at 0903 hours. 

All the officers said there had not been any challenges so far. 

Some voters were not happy that the EC had stopped using the indelible ink, which helped check over voting in past elections. 

The EC explained that the biometric processes would ‘cure’ that.  

There was calm at all the polling stations visited, with voting moving on smoothly.  

– Electorates in the Zongo community in the New Juaben South Municipality have expressed disappointment in the rescheduling of the District Level Elections (DLE) to Thursday, December 21.

Some of the electorates in Zongo A, B, C and D electoral areas in an interview with the GNA said they were disappointed in the Electoral Commission because they did not get any information about the postponement until they waited in queues at the polling stations for over two hours.

Mr. Rashid Abdul said, “I’ve waited for several hours with the belief that no matter the delay, the voting would still come on, but to my dismay we are asked to go home and come back on Thursday.”

Ms Abena Kumi, a trader at the Zongo market, said she could have opened her shop earlier in the morning to make some sales than waiting in a queue for two hours in vain.

She was not sure she could vote on Thursday, explaining that she and her family were travelling to spend the Christmas festivities with other family members.

The Electoral Commission has released a statement to the effect that voting in some Ashanti and Eastern Regions had been suspended and rescheduled to Thursday, due to circumstances beyond control

The 2023 District Level Elections (DLEs) has taken off smoothly at Kadjebi in the Oti Region.

Ghana News Agency’s (GNA) visit to seven polling stations saw voters in queue waiting to cast their ballots.

At Kadjebi Post Office Polling station where 521 voters are expected to vote, 15 have voted as at 0741hours that GNA visited the polling centre.

Ms Winnifred Asiedua, the Presiding Officer, told GNA the process was moving smoothly.

At Kadjebi Market Polling station where 404 voters are expected to vote, 11 voters  had voted as at 0748hrs that GNA visited the polling station.

Mr. Gideon Klu, the Presiding Officer, said there were no challenges so far.

At Chapel of Hope, Kadjebi Polling station where 420 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots, 18 voters had cast their ballots as at 0830 hours that GNA visited the polling station.

Mr. Abdulai Ibrahim, the Presiding Officer told GNA that everything was well and that six candidates were contesting the Assembly member slot while at Unit Committee election only one candidate had filed.

There was Security personnel at all the polling stations visited.

The story was not different from other polling stations visited.

Three women are contesting to be elected as members to the Sissala East Municipal Assembly out of a total of 62 contestants.  

They include Madam Rita Kanton, a teacher, standing in the Kusijan Electoral Area, where she is locking horns with three males, one of whom was a Presiding Member of the Sissala East Assembly, Mr Tohari Luri Jabunmie.  

Her colleague Madam  Nanzo Dora, also a teacher, is being challenged by three male contestants. 

Madam Issifu Zenabu Baku, a Creche teacher, is the third woman hoping to be elected from the same Nyaminjang Electoral Area.  

There are 21 electoral areas in the Sissala East Municipality where 62 persons have filed to contest in the District Level Election (DLE). 

All three women have pledged to make a difference in the Assembly if elected.  

Mr Charles Oteng Bonsra, the Sissala East Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission, told the Ghana News Agency that a platform session was organised for the electoral areas for aspirants to present their manifestos.  

Meanwhile, Mr Doho Sumaila, the immediate past Presiding Member of the Sissala East Assembly and the National Vice President of the National Association of Local Authorities (NALAG) is beioen contested in the Bujan Electoral Area by Mr Bacholfuo Bein Baga and Mr Donlonzomor Daud Domikania.  

Mr Doho is hopeful the electorate would vote for him to continue to give the electoral area a good representation and close the development gap.  

Voting in the 2023 District Level Election (DLE) to elect assembly members and unit committee members is underway in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region.  

The exercise, which delayed at some centres, is expected to end at 1700 hours.  

A total of 57 candidates are contesting for the assembly members’ slot and 94 for the Unit Committee membership in the 17 Electoral Areas of the Municipality. 

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) centres including the Divine Star Academy and Blave Centre A revealed that a total of 571 voters are expected to cast their ballots at the Divine Star Academy while 586 voters are also expected to vote at the Blave Centre A. 

At the Hohoe Municipal Experimental Primary, Ahado, Mr Randy Adzato-Ntem, Presiding Officer, told the GNA that 323 voters were expected to vote while four had cast their ballots as at 0756 hours. 

Madam Salamatu Benson, Presiding Officer at the St Francis Demonstration Junior High School – Kpeme (I), said a total of 637 voters were expected to vote at the Centre. 

As at 0808 hours, 10 voters had already voted, she said. 

At the St Francis Demonstration Junior High School – Kpeme (II), 10 out of 659 expected voters had already cast their ballots as at 0813 hours. 

Mr George Agalor, Presiding Officer at the St Francis Demonstration Primary School – Hohoe (I), said the process had been smooth so far, adding that eight out of 693 voters had exercised their franchise as at 0820 hours.  

At the St Francis Demonstration Primary School – Hohoe (2), eight voters out of 654 had voted as at 0816 hours.  

The Ghana News Agency observed that there were no queues at the centres with security personnel and polling agents of the various aspirants present.  

Mr Derek Kwame Adzoe, an assembly member aspirant, said he was pleased with the arrangements so far and expected the electorate to come out in their numbers to vote for him. 

Awulae Agyevi Kwame, Paramount Chief of Nsein Traditional Council, has appealed to the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Dramani Mahama to appoint more Indigenes from the Western Region into his cabinet when the party assumes power in January 7, 2025. 

Awulae Agyevi Kwame made the appeal when former President Mahama called on him at his palace at Nsein in the Nzema-East Municipality as part of a-two-day Building Ghana Tour of the Western Region. 

The Omanhene said the Western Region lagged behind in development with a myriad of Chieftaincy disputes. 

Awulae Kwame mentioned deplorable roads in the Region with special reference to the Agona-Nkwanta to Takoradi stretch. the Esiama to Awiebo road, the Teleku-Bokazo to Simpa junction road and Samenye barrier to Half- Assini Road. 

The Omanhene expressed misgivings about the celebration of Independence Day outside the Western Region for a longer time and reminded the government to bring next year’s celebration to the Western Region. 

For his part, former President Mahama acknowledged the immense contributions of the Western Region to the development of the nation. 

He said the erstwhile NDC government had a lot of Nzemas and indigenes from the Western Region. 

The NDC Flagbearer said his administration would team up with traditional rulers to administer affairs of the nation. 

Mr Mahama said he has the experience and expertise to rule the nation and appealed to the people to give him the nod in the December 7 Presidential elections. 

He promised to ensure discipline in the fiscal policy to ensure that prices of goods and services become relatively stable to make life comfortable for Ghanaians.