The timely arrival and intervention of two current Ashanti Regional NDC executives prevented what would have become a free for all fight between supporters of Asawasi MP Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed and Joseph Salifu at the Asawasi Community Center where branch and ward executives had met to elect the constituency�s party executives.
Mr Raymond Tandoh, acting regional secretary and the recently embattled Regional Organiser Alhaji Sannie Jnr arrived at the conference grounds moments after some confusion had erupted between the two groups as contesting candidates with their supporters were seen in groups strategizing to outwit each other in the elections.
The duo�s intervention calmed down the crowd especially supporters of the two feuding parties as they took turns to address aspirants and delegates to allow the awe-stricken and bemused Electoral Officials to superintend the process.
However, despite these appeals, the candidates, particularly Joseph Salifu, found it hard to comprehend why the party officers had insisted that candidates should not be introduced to the delegates before voting commences.
And before the Electoral Officials could explain to the contesting candidates that the situation was due to the time factor, the incumbent constituency secretary Joseph Salifu, who surprisingly and eventually lost his seat to C.T. Gyan by 39 votes, was seen confronting the Asawasi MP for orchestrating that ploy with the EC.
The confrontation between the two generated into near fisticuffs, as both the MP and Secretary, incidentally former allies, were only separated by the Police Personnel who were detailed to the election grounds.
Fuelling the already built up tension in the community center, GO was informed that the incident was not a surprise since it follows days of suspicion in the constituency as contesting candidates felt their opponents were scheming to rig the elections to favour whatever camp they belonged to.
The election scheduled to start at 8am could not go on as planned as contesting parties and their supporters sang war songs threatening each other at the constituency grounds with the taunts and songs bringing a charged atmosphere to the grounds.
The elections are being held in all the Thirty-Nine constituencies in the Ashanti Region with Asawasi, Suame and Manhyia North Constituencies taking the lead on Saturday while Kwabre Constituency followed a day after.
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