The New Patriotic Party (NPP) held primaries in six constituencies across the country on Saturday to elect parliamentary candidates for the 2016 election.
The six constituencies are the Tema Central, Tema West and Obuom Domeabra, all in the Greater Accra Region; Juabeng in the Ashanti Region, Kintampo North in the Brong Ahafo Region and Gomoa East in the Central Region.
At the Obuom Domeabra Municipal Assembly Basic School where the primary was held, Abdul Aziz reports that Mr Mohammed Baba Darison emerged the winner. He polled 230 votes as against his only contender, Mr Benjamin Adjetey Adjei, who polled 71 votes.
A total of 302 delegates voted in the primary. There was one spoilt ballot.
Both the winner and loser pledged to work as a team to improve the fortunes of the party in the constituency.
Mr Darison said the party was currently on its feet at the constituency, after many years of neglect.
Mr Adjei also urged party members to close their ranks and work as a team to capture the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Polls closed in the Juabeng Constituency in the Ashanti Region with the incumbent, Ama Pomaa Boateng, retaining her seat.
At Tema Central, the incumbent, Kofi Brako, beat his contender, Agyemang Prempeh, with 315 votes.
Earlier, during voting, Agyemang Prempeh raised concerns about the positioning of the polling booths. According to him, it was easy for anyone to see which candidate the delegates voted for.
Akwasi Amprawum-Mensah reports from Takoradi that the primary in the Kwesimintsim Constituency in the Western Region did not take place because of a purported writ of summons filed at the Sekondi High Court by Mr Joe Mensah, a contestant.
According to the Western Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Charles Nanabayin Bissue, Mr Mensah said he was not happy with the decision of the NPP National Appeals Committee to disqualify him from the contest, so he went to court.
Mr Mensah also contended that he had not received any correspondence from any quarters to the effect that he had been disqualified.
Mr Bissue, however, argued that the regional secretary had forwarded the decision of the appeals committee to him. Hearing of the case has been fixed for Thursday, July 30, 2015.
Korle Klottey Charles Andoh also reports that NPP delegates at Korle Klottey in the Greater Accra Region who turned up in their numbers on Saturday to vote were left to their fate as the electoral officer who was supposed to supervise the exercise did not turn up.
According to the EC, it was served with a letter from the court at the eleventh hour last Friday, instructing that the constituency elections be suspended temporarily due to an injunction some six party supporters had filed, claiming that one of the contestants; Nii Noi Nortey presented a fake certificate as an old student of the University of Ghana during the vetting process.
The delegates and supporters of the three contestants waited at the Osu Presby Park where the elections were supposed to take place from 7am to 11am until they left the centre.
The contestants; Mr Philip Addison, Mr Valentino Nii Noi Nortey and Mr Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah were all present at the venue when they were finally informed that the election would no longer take place.
Supporters and sympathisers of all the delegates chanted songs in support of the delegates.
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