Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
VICE PRESIDENT, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia easily won 44 out of the 47 constituencies during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential election in the Ashanti Region on Saturday.
With the exception of Bosome Freho, New Edubiase and Fomena Constituencies, which Kennedy Agyapong, emerged as the winner, all the remaining 44 constituencies fell for the Vice President.
In total, Dr. Bawumia won a staggering 20,523 of the valid votes cast, representing 66.6%, followed by Kennedy Agyapong, who also amassed 10,582 votes, which represented 33.6% of the votes.
Strangely, the other two contestants, who are natives of the Ashanti Region, and were expected to do well based on home support, rather performed abysmally by securing the lowest votes in the election.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Agriculture, secured a paltry 141 votes, representing 0.5%, followed by Addai Nimo, ex-MP for Asante Mampong, who got 69 votes, representing 0.2%.
Bawumia’s Best PerformancesÂ
Significantly, Dr. Bawumia performed very well in light of the 44 constituencies in the region, where he secured 80 and over percent of the valid votes cast, a manifestation of how strong he is in the region.
The Vice President’s best performed constituencies in the region included Effiduase Asokore, where he secured 93.3%, Mampong, 86.4%, Manhyia South and Ejisu, where he grabbed 85.5% respectively.
The other four remaining constituencies where he scored from 80% upwards are Ahafo Ano South West, 82.2%, Asante Akyem Central, 82.2%, Ejura Sekyeredumase, 82.2% and Sekyere Afram Plains 80.0%.
Tight SecurityÂ
Meanwhile, the election was held under tight security at virtually all the voting centers in the 47 constituencies in the region. Armed police personnel were seen stationed at the centres to ensure law and order.
The huge police presence at the voting centres proved dividend as the party delegates, who have voting rights to decide the next leader of the party, comported themselves, thereby preventing any trouble.
At all the centres that the DAILY GUIDE visited, the party delegates were seen in long queues, waiting for their turn to exercise their franchise under the supervision of the Electoral Commission (EC).
No significant incident of violence or trouble were recorded in the region before, during and after the election results were declared.
Bawumia JubilationsÂ
In a related development, there were wild jubilations in Kumasi and other parts of the Ashanti Region, especially at the voting centres, when the EC announced Dr. Bawumia as the winner of the election.
Known Dr. Bawumia supporters and sympathizers were seen chanting the name of their political idol, who they described as the suitable person to lead the party to retain political power in 2024.
According to them, Dr. Bawumia has lived up to expectation by performing excellently as vice president for two terms, therefore they are expecting him to also deliver when elected as president in 2024.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi