'I Should Have Listened To Aliu Mahama - E.T. Mensah

Veteran politician E.T. Mensah is fuming over the conduct of his challenger in the Ningo-Prampram parliamentary primaries, Sam George.

E.T. Mensah who is the incumbent is vowing to sue Sam George for defamation. E.T. Mensah says he is not surprised about the behaviour of Sam George whom he has labeled as a "pathological liar".

According to E.T. Mensah, the late former Vice-President under the Kufuor administration warned him about the "treacherous" nature of his mentee-turned opponent, Sam George.

The Ningo-Prampram parliamentary primaries has been postponed after Sam George claimed his name is not in the biometric register along with more than 2,000 others. But Sam George's claim has been dismissed by the Greater Accra Regional Chair of the NDC Ade Coker who maintains, Sam George's name is in the register.

President John Dramani Mahama has cast his vote at Bole in the Northern region. In a Facebook post, the President said

"I’m voting to strengthen democracy in NDC, I am voting for more youth and women to get involved in politics, and for a transparent process to select Ghana’s political leaders. I’m voting for inclusiveness and equality, and for empowering those who otherwise would be powerless.I’m voting because I believe in all of you!".

A lot of voters in the Ellembelle constituency of the western have been denied the opportunity to cast their ballot due to the absence of their names on the voters register.

About 30 voters have also been turned away at the Post Office polling station at Aiyinase all in the constituency.

Joy News' William Benjamin Peters is in the constituency and reports that Only 61 out of 120 names appeared in the register.

He added that there are no security personanel statioend at these polling stations. Voter turnout is also low, with some centers recording as low as 17 out of 67 voters expected.

Reports from Twifu Atti Morkwaa indicate that the District Chief Executive officer exhibited his support for the incumbent MP, Sam Ato Amoah by showing his vote to people around.

The DCE, Hon. Bossman Osei Hyiema, a brother in-law to the MP and chairman of the DISEC, justified his action, saying

"it is common knowledge that he is a staunch supporter of the MP".

According to him, making his votes obvious does not raise any tension or constitute any electoral breach.

His actions got some polling agents and supporters of the other two aspirants enraged.

Polls have opened in 269 constituencies across the country as the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) is voting to elect parliamentary and presidential candidates for the 2016 general elections.

A little less than 2.1 million card-bearing members of the NDC are voting in over 8,000 polling centres across the country.

Voting has already started in the Klottey Korle constituency in the Greater Accra region, some parts of the Volta Region and Wa in the Upper West region.

However, voting in Ningo-Prampram has been marred with some confusion, Joy News' Afreh Kwakye Nuamah reports.

Sam George, one of the contenders in the election there, is alleging the register has been tampered with and, therefore, cannot be used for the polls. Voting has delayed as the protestations get louder.

They claim that in areas like the Afienya, pens have been used to write additional 2000 names in the register. These names according to them, are not on the party’s original biometric list.

As at now it is not clear whether the votes will be conducted in the area but voters are still waiting in queues in some polling stations, he said.

But in a response, E.T Mensah says Sam George is speaking out of desperation because he is aware that he will lose the race and this is the only defense mechanism he can resort to.

There is, however, heavy security presence in the area.

According to Adom News' Maame Esi Thompson, some voters at the Tema West constituency are angry because they are unable to find their names in the voters' register.

Some voters seeking clarification on the absence of their names in the register.

About 127 out of 148 Majority MPs including the Majority leader Alban Bagbin are seeking re-election.

Out of this, 62 of them have been automatically elected because they are going unopposed.

Meanwhile, a number of constituencies have had injunctions placed on their parliamentary primaries in the last 12 hours.

At Odododiodoo constituency in the Greater Accra region, the incumbent MP, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije who is going unopposed has provided some three-wheeled cabs to convey old people and persons who cannot walk to the various polling stations to vote.

Luv News' Erastus Asare Donkor is also reporting of a heavy security presence at Suame in the Ashanti Region as one of the parliamentary candidates besieged a polling station with his supporters. He is alleging that the register is bloated with the infusion of names of some New Patriotic Party members.

Meanwhile in the Korle Klottey constituency a key contender, Dr. Zanetor Rawlings did not find her name in the party’s register. She is contesting the incumbent Nii Armah Ashietey. Sam George who is also fighting to unseat E.T. Mensah in the Ningo-Prampram primaries had his name and 2000 others taken out of the register.

Although polls have been open for hours now, voting has still not started in the Ahafo-Ano South-East Constituency are yet to start due to delay in arrival of election materials. According to some electorates, they have been there since 5am but they are yet to cast their votes.

The Former DCE of Ahafo Ano South, Gabriel Barimah, popularly known as Tweaa DCE, Chris Boadi Mensah and Steve Kowadwo are contesting for the seat in this constituency.

Luv FM's Prince Appiah is reporting that voting has started in the Ahafo-Ano-South East cosntituency in the Ashanti Region. Earlier he reported that voting was yet to begin due to the delay in arrival of election materials. Some delegates, he said had been at the polling station since 5am but as he reports, voting has started.

One person, has been arrested in Nanton in the Northern Region for allegedly snatching a ballot box at a polling station.

However, at the Akatsi South, constituency, scores of card-bearing members of the party are very angry as they are unable to find their names on the voters' register.

Joy News’ Hashmin Mohammed reports that at the Kumbungu constituency in the Northern region that voting has been called off until Sunday.

Constituency Executives in the region raised issues about some 300 names in the voters register which should not be.

They claim the names are those of some NPP members and were supposed to be taken off after the exhibition of the register but his has not been done.

After a meeting which lasted for about five hours, the executives agreed to delete the names form the register and conduct the elections on Sunday.