Blows’ at KMA over election of Presiding Member

The election of the presiding member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) degenerated into confusion as a fight broke out between Assembly members.

After five rounds of voting ended in a stalemate, the Assembly members abandoned the process of voting.

The two contestants, Nana Kofi Senya - perceived to be the New Patriotic Party (NPP) choice and Nana Adumhene, reportedly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) favorite failed to secure the two-thirds majority votes required by the law.


The election was supervised by the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Lawrence Sarpong.

The KMA has 147 members, 91 of them elected, 44 appointed and 10 ex-officio members, who are Members of Parliament (MPs).

Nhyira FM’s Bernard Kusi Appiah who was at the venue reported that there was a little scuffle at the start of polls, allegedly led by the Assembly member of Ridge Nhyiaso Electoral Area, Abraham Boadi.

Explaining his action to Adom News, the aggrieved assembly member said the EC changed the mode of voting but failed to inform them.

“The EC issued us ballot papers with pictures of the candidates instead of our normal blank paper we have been using so he had to protest. They accepted their mistakes and allowed us to appoint agents to protect the votes of both candidates” Bernard Kusi Appiah reported.

Abraham Boadi stated that a motion was moved by an Assembly member for the adjournment of the election for 21sitting days after which members would reconvene to elect a Presiding Member and it was endorsed overwhelmingly by members of the Assembly.

Both contestants are former Presiding Members. Nana Adumhene has promised to step down only if Nana Kofi Senya also steps down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRtpxg8DmC8

Source:myjoyonline.com