Violence at one polling station nearly marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon Parliamentary by-election held yesterday.
The University of Ghana Hospital, Legon, said the number of injured persons at the facility, related to the Ayawaso West Wuogon incident, have risen from seven to 18.
Giving an update on their condition, Mr Eric Gaisey, the Administrator of the Hospital, said that 11 had been treated and discharged, while seven had been detained for observation.
One person who sustained a gunshot wound in the leg was in the morning referred to the 37 Military Hospital for treatment.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Afia Tenge, has said the Police were still investigating what triggered the incident involving some National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters and some alleged masked security who wore T-shirts labelled NSC and suspected to security operatives.
The incident happened at nearly 8am at the residence of the NDC’s candidate, Mr Kwasi Delali Brempong, the La Bawaleshie Presbyterian Primary School One A Polling Station.
It spilled over to the Polling Station, disrupting the polls for about 45 minutes.
X-ray and Medical Resonance Image examinations would be conducted on them to determine the extent of injuries.
The Area Crime Officer and the University’s Police had visited the patients to conduct their investigations.
They had sustained injuries on their legs, the back of their heads, elbows and shoulders, but the one who was referred to the 37 Military Hospital had a bullet wound on his left leg.
X-ray and Medical Resonance Image examinations would be conducted on the victims to determine the extent of injuries.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Depouty Superintended of Police (DSP) Afia Tenge, said the Police were still investigating what triggered the incident involving some NDC supporters and some alleged masked security who wore T-shirts labelled NSC.
Meanwhile, Mr Rashid Nantongma, the Ayawaso West Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), said the skirmishes, which took place near the La-Bawaleshie Presbyterian Primary School 1A Polling Station in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency has nothing to do with voting in the Parliamentary by-election.
He said apart from the La-Bawaleshie Presbyterian Primary School 1A, where the voting process was disrupted, voting was going on peacefully in the rest of the 136 polling stations.
He said the Commission was hopeful the exercise would go on peacefully.
The agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Parliamentary by-election have left their posts in line with a directive from their National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, that the Party is withdrawing from the race.
This follows a violent incident at the residence of the Party’s Parliamentary Candidate, Mr Delali Kwasi Brempong, near the La-Bawleshie Presbyterian Primary School One A Polling Station.
In announcing their decision at a media conference, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, explained that they could not afford to expose their agents and members to the risk of intimidation and violence.
The Electoral Commission, has meanwhile, told the GNA that voting was proceeding peacefully in all the stations, including the one, which witnessed the skirmishes.
Mr Kwame Amoah, the Greater Accra Regional Director, told the GNA that technically a candidate would be unable to withdraw from a race, once it had begun.
The NDC, he said, had also not presented any official communication to the EC on its position.
Four candidates are officially contesting the poll to replace Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, who passed on in November, 2018.
They include Ms Lydia Seyram Alhassan of the New Patriotic Party, Mr William Dowokpor of the Progressive People’s Party and Mr Clement Boadi of the Liberal Party of Ghana.
More than 80,000 registered voters are expected to cast their votes in the poll.
The NPP has won the seat since Ghana’s Fourth Republic was inaugurated, except for 1992, when it did not contest
Four candidates officially contested the poll to replace Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, who passed on in November, 2018.
They include Ms Lydia Seyram Alhassan of the New Patriotic Party, Mr William Dowokpor of the Progressive People’s Party and Mr Clement Boadi of the Liberal Party of Ghana.
More than 80,000 registered voters are expected to cast their votes in the poll.
The NPP has won the seat since Ghana’s Fourth Republic was inaugurated, except for 1992, when it did not contest.
Source: The Finder
