Per provisional results for both polling areas in the constituency, Dr. Bawumia received 900 votes, while Agyapong polled 530 votes.

Dr. Bryan Acheampong came third with 240 votes, followed by Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum with 22 votes and Ing. Kwabena Adjei Agyapong with 3 votes.

Dome Kwabenya is considered a key hotspot in the primary, as it is the constituency of Kennedy Agyapong’s former partner, Adwoa Safo, who actively campaigned against him,

Political observers noted the unusual dynamics in the race, with reports that she actively campaigned for Dr. Bawumia, contributing to his strong showing in the area.

Polling agents across other constituencies continue to count votes cast, with the NPP promising to release consolidated results once all areas have been tallied.

Despite the chilly night breeze, a few stayed overnight to participate in the exercise to elect a flagbearer for the party to contest in the 2028 general elections.

They arrived early, determined to secure their place ahead of time in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched internal elections in the party’s history since 1992.

While the Electoral Commission (EC) and the NPP Presidential Election Committee have streamlined the walk-in with the police ensuring a peaceful process, delegates in Dome-Kwabenya say they are taking no chances.

Given the constituency’s massive delegate count—exceeding 2,000—many feared that arriving on Saturday morning would result in hours of waiting under the scorching sun.

“I came around 11 PM. We are determined to select a candidate who can lead us to victory in 2028,” a loyal delegate told JoyNews’ Michael Papanii Ashalley, who visited the centre.

As at 6:00 AM on Saturday, there were about 27 delegates standing under three marquees ready to cast their vote.

They are part of the 211,849 registered delegates across 16 regions of the country participating in the party exercise.

The presidential primaries will bring together delegates from all 16 regions, and all 275 constituencies, pooling the voices of grassroots organizers, constituency executives, and Members of Parliament.

Across the nation, over 900 voting centers have been set up for the exercise, which will conclude by 3:00 PM after which counting will commence immediately in the presence of agents, electoral observers, and the media.

A central collation centre has been established in Accra, where certified results from each constituency will be transmitted securely for final certification and declaration.

Five aspirants have successfully filed their nominations to vie for the single slot to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections.

1. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong
2. Dr. Bryan Acheampong
3. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
4. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum
5. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong

Party leaders have repeatedly urged delegates and supporters to uphold the NPP’s long‑standing values of discipline, unity and peaceful competition, warning against the use of private security, vigilantes or any acts that could undermine the credibility of the process.

The largest voting blocs are Greater Accra with over 40,000 delegates and Ashanti with more than 36,000, followed by Eastern, Central and Western regions. Political observers say turnout and voting patterns in these regions could prove decisive.

The flagbearer who emerges today will immediately assume the task of reorganising the party, healing internal divisions and crafting a compelling national message ahead of the general election.

Historically, the NPP’s presidential primaries have played a significant role in shaping the party’s fortunes. Commanding victories in internal contests have often translated into stronger national campaigns, while close races have required extensive post‑primary reconciliation efforts.

As voting gets underway today, all eyes are on the NPP as it takes a crucial step in selecting the leader who will carry its banner into the next national political contest.

According to him, this decision undermines the fundamental principle that the will of the people is paramount, a principle consistently upheld by courts, including in the landmark case of Akufo-Addo et al. v. Mahama et al.

Professor Asare explained, “The ultimate purpose of election results is to reflect the will of the electorate. If the results declared on the training sheet are accurate and verifiable, rejecting them solely because of the medium used is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

He cautioned that such actions risk disenfranchising voters and eroding the core of democratic governance.

Expressing further concern, Professor Asare criticized the EC’s reliance on procedural grounds to nullify results, particularly at the Abokobi Women’s Development Centre 2 polling station, where training sheets were used instead of the official statement of poll.

He described this decision as prioritizing form over substance, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent.

“The commission’s rejection of the declaration on a procedural technicality, without examining the substantive accuracy of the results, strains at a gnat and swallows a camel,” he noted. “While adherence to proper forms is important for electoral integrity, outright rejection without verification undermines public confidence in the process.”

He argued that the EC could have adopted a more equitable approach by verifying the results and re-declaring them using the correct forms, which would have preserved procedural integrity while respecting the electorate’s trust. Instead, the decision appears to favor procedural rigidity over transparency and fairness.

Citing the Akan proverb, “When the rhythm of the drum changes, the dance steps must adapt,” Professor Asare emphasized the need for flexibility in electoral processes to address human error without compromising the will of the voters. “Rejecting declarations on procedural errors without exploring alternatives creates the impression that technical missteps, no matter how minor, can override the sovereign will of the people,” he said.

He also highlighted the inherent complexity of elections, where procedural errors are not entirely avoidable, noting that safeguards exist to verify results. “The voters fulfilled their democratic duty in good faith. Their voices should not be disregarded because an EC official failed to follow proper procedures. Penalizing voters for mistakes beyond their control violates principles of fairness and justice.”

Professor Asare concluded by urging the EC to strike a balance between strict procedural adherence and fairness. “A decision that ignores options for verification and correction fails to achieve this balance,” he stressed.

“Da Yie,” he wrote in his Facebook post.

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The confusion on Saturday morning between the National Democratic Congress(NDC) and the New Patriotic Party(NPP) was over pink sheets.

Adom News’ Ernest Akowuah Gyamerah Twum reported that, the NPP parliamentary candidate, Mike Oquaye Junior, raised objections to the process.

Mr Ocquaye demanded a re-collation for 88 polling stations but the NDC insisted that there were only three outstanding polling centres and only that should be re-collated.

The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Free Zones Authority argued that, there were discrepancies regarding the number of polling stations left to be collated before the chaos that marred the earlier process.

Mr Oquaye asserted that the NPP was not present for the collation of results for the three polling stations, invalidating the subsequent declaration, hence his demands.

This objection was met with resistance from the NDC, which maintained that only three polling stations were outstanding.

The NDC insisted that, the process should focus solely on these three polling stations and that the rest of the results were valid as declared.

As tensions flared, a meeting was convened to reach a consensus. Following deliberations, the EC representative addressed the parties, announcing a compromise.

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The decision comes after confusion erupted on Saturday, December 28, 2024, during the re-collation of parliamentary results after weeks of dispute.

The EC’s Director of Training, Dr Serebour Quaicoe announced the development.

“The report from the returning officers was that they have concluded collating 367 polling station results. They were left with three of the results, and the three results were brought later.

“The Commission rejected one of them outrightly on the stance that it was declared on a wrong statement of poll because they used training sheets, which is not the one that they should use. So the commission has rejected one, so we decided to come and add the two and see what happens,” he explained.

Dr. Quaicoe indicated that after adding the two results, the difference between the two leading candidates; the NPP’s Mike Ocquaye Jnr and the NDC’s Faustina Elikplim Akurugu was 165 votes.

The rejected result had a total of 669 voters, meaning that if all those votes were given to the second candidate, they would overtake the first candidate.

This necessitated a rerun at the polling station.

“The polling station’s name is Abokobi Women’s Development Centre 2. We are sending our report to the commission, and then the commission will take the decision on when it should be done, but we are assured that it will be done before they are inaugurated,” Dr. Quaicoe stated.

The rerun is expected to provide clarity and finality to the contested results, ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process.

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This assurance follows the Commission’s successful re-collation and declaration of results in seven other contested constituencies, including Okaikwei Central, Nsawam Adoagyiri, Ahafo Ano North, Ahafo Ano South West, Obuasi East, Tema Central, and Techiman South.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, Dr. Bossman Asare, the EC’s Deputy Chairperson in charge of Corporate Affairs, expressed confidence that the outstanding issues would be resolved promptly.

He explained that, delays in these constituencies were caused by disputes raised by stakeholders, which required additional scrutiny to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

Dr. Asare reassured the public of the EC’s commitment to transparency and credibility, urging all political parties and stakeholders to remain calm as the Commission works to resolve the outstanding matters.

“We are hopeful that the two outstanding constituencies will have their MPs-elect declared very soon, well before the swearing-in of Parliament,” Dr. Asare stated.

The EC’s re-collation and declaration process has received mixed reactions, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) securing victories in all seven seats declared so far.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the results, calling the EC’s actions illegal and vowing to challenge the decisions through legal means.

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Dome Kwabenya and Ablekuma North were among nine constituencies selected for re-collation following a High Court ruling that required a review of the election results due to allegations of irregularities.

To date, the EC has successfully declared results in seven constituencies, all of which favor the New Patriotic Party (NPP). These constituencies include:

• Ahafo Ano North
• Techiman South
• Ahafo Ano South West
• Nsawam Adoagyiri
• Obuasi East
• Okaikwei Central
• Tema Central

Challenges with Ablekuma North Re-collation
The suspension in Ablekuma North is due to the returning officer’s inability to present all the necessary pink sheets.

Of the total pink sheets expected, 62 remain missing, preventing the re-collation process from being completed.

Issues with Dome Kwabenya Re-collation
In Dome Kwabenya, the returning officer reported that the pink sheets for three polling stations are only available in soft copy format.

Attempts to produce hard copies have been unsuccessful, with both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) failing to provide the required documents.

The NPP has explained that the absence of these pink sheets is a result of violent disruptions during the original collation process, during which party agents were reportedly assaulted and critical documents were destroyed.

The re-collation exercises have been conducted under tight security, with joint military and police personnel ensuring order and transparency.

Despite the suspension, the EC has assured all stakeholders that it is committed to resolving the issues in both the Dome Kwabenya and Ablekuma North constituencies.

Benjamin Bano Bio, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to maintaining electoral integrity. He added that investigations are ongoing to address the missing documents and disputes surrounding these constituencies.

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Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Dr. Ofosu-Ampofo questioned Mr. Ocquaye’s actions.

“Mike Ocquaye, are you joking? If you’re joking, then you should stop because your actions are unfair. When you do your private collation and realize you have lost, you don’t see the parliamentary candidate. Do you think Mike Ocquaye would win an election and then go and sleep when the results are being announced? They are just deceiving the public, they are being dishonest” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ocquaye Jnr. maintains that the declaration of the results in favor of the NDC’s parliamentary candidate, Faustina Elikplim Akrugu, was invalid.

Madam Akrugu was declared the winner after the vote count showed she had crossed the 50% mark, marking the NDC’s first victory in the Dome Kwabenya seat, a constituency traditionally held by the NPP.

However, in a press conference on Tuesday, December 10, Mr. Ocquaye Jnr. claimed that some ballot papers were burnt by NDC supporters, preventing constituents from seeing the true results.

Despite this, Dr. Ofosu-Ampofo pointed out that there was security present during the collation and declaration process, ensuring the integrity of the results.

He also argued, “I’ve been through elections before, and the psychology of it is that if you realize the results won’t go in your favor, you won’t see the parliamentary candidate around. Do you think Mike Ocquaye would go and sleep if he knew he had won? He wouldn’t sleep.”

OFOSU AMPOFO ON MIKE OCQUAYE

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He insists declaration of the results in favour of the National Democratic parliamentary candidate, Faustina Elikplim Akrugu was invalid.

Madam Elikplim was declared the winner last night after votes tallied indicated that she crossed the 50 percent mark.

This landmark win represents the first time the NDC has captured the Dome Kwabenya seat, a constituency historically regarded as an NPP fortress.

However, addressing a press conference on Tuesday, December 10, Mr Ocquaye says some ballot papers were burnt to ashes by the National Democratic Congress supporters, which denied constituents the opportunity to see the true results.

“… We won’t agree to the results. What the Electoral Commission would use to work has been burnt, and what the NPP will use to work has been burnt. What do you mean?

“If you know you have won the election, why do you burn ballot paper for government,” he asked.

He noted that after the “illegal declaration”, he was called by the region and asked to come to the collation centre to sort out the issue.

He added, “When I got there, the district officer of Dome Kwabenya told me that the declaration has been suspended for a re-collation.”

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The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon amid prolonged chaos over the collation of the 2024 election results.

It is unclear what caused the female official, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, to pass out.

Accra-based TV3 reported that the Police’s attempt to rush her for medical attention was delayed by irate youth who blocked the road, hindering access.

After several minutes, the police managed to navigate through the obstruction and rushed her to a nearby facility for treatment.

Following the resolution of chaos at the centre, reports suggest the collation process may be moved to the Police Headquarters or the Regional Police Command in Tudu.

Meanwhile, there has been heavy military deployment, with the police taking swift action to address the situation.

Supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have gathered at the collation centre after reports indicated that their candidate, Elikplim Akurugu, has taken an early lead.

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According to eyewitnesses affiliated with the NDC, their parliamentary candidate has won the seat. This is in spite of the fact that the Electoral Commission is yet to declare the results.

They claim that some thugs associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are attempting to manipulate the results in favour of the NPP parliamentary candidate by introducing new pink sheets at the collation centre.

The NDC supporters allege that the NPP operatives bypassed security personnel and went directly to the collation table, attempting to mix the new pink sheets with the original ones.

They further accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of potentially being complicit in efforts to alter the outcome in favour of the NPP candidate.

The NDC supporters have vowed to resist any attempts by the NPP or the EC to tamper with the election results.

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Source: Myjoyonline

Reports reaching Adom News indicate that, the police were interrogating a suspect who was carrying a weapon at the voting center.

But the individual was resisting arrest so the journalist decided to record the incident.

But security operatives who saw him recording arrested the journalist stating that, it was wrong to capture the incident.

According to an eye witness, Kwaku Ansah was taken to the Dome Kwabenya police station for interrogation.

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In an interview with JoyNews’ Samuel Mbura on Saturday, January 27, he said the election process has been free and fair devoid of vote buying.

According to him, he is only providing canopies and chairs for delegates, and has not added lunch or transport.

“Election is ending at 2 pm so if by the Grace of God, I win, I will invite all the delegates to come to my house for super lunch and bubra. Even when I lost the last time, I gave them fufu and bubra so imagine when I win,” he said.

He was hopeful the delegates will vote in his favour since he has been there for them in the absence of the sitting MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo.

He added that whether the delegates vote in his favour or not, he still values them, as they are the ones who make the party thrive.

Asked whether he was optimistic of victory since the sitting MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo surpassed him with an eight vote margin in the last election, he said: “By then I was in India while she was in Ghana, but now I am in Ghana and she was in America so we will see what happens.”

This is the third time Mr Ocquaye Jnr. is contesting against Adwoa Safo for the seat with the latter winning in two previous polls.

According to him, the medical condition of her son should not be the reason for her to abandon her duties for almost two years.

To the MP, the comments are insulting to him personally as someone who was seriously sick but had to forfeit medical care for parliamentary duties.

“For you to say that your son is sick is not a fortunate comment to make. If her son is sick, she can bring him to seek medical treatment in Ghana, or does she no longer trust Ghana hospitals? For me, I think Adwoa Safo has taken our party for granted and something must be done about it,” he fumed.

Mr Ansah, who sounded livid on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, cited his colleague Ahanta West MP, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, who was in Parliament to give the Majority side the numbers for the passage of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).

“I feel she is the cause of all the problems the Majority is having in parliament because at a point when we needed the numbers, an NPP MP was ready to come to parliament irrespective of his medical condition but if she was around, I’m not sure we would have had all these problems,” he lamented.

Mr Kum’s presence was crucial in securing the votes to approve or reject the E-Levy as Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta returned to Parliament to push for the passage.

Though the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, explained it was Mr Kum’s personal decision, the move was heavily condemned by a section of Ghanaians who described it as insensitive.

His arrest came within minutes of the exhumation of the body of his mother, Madam Abraa Mansa, 86, who he had allegedly buried in a shallow dugout with her head down and legs up. So shallow was the grave that sand had been spread over the legs to conceal them.

But for the intervention of the assemblyman for Ayigbe Town, Ebenezer Kwao, angry residents were bent on administering instant justice on the man they suspect has caused them so much anguish.

Officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation, municipal health authorities and police were able to exhume the body shortly before midday, and moments after the police pick-up carrying the body covered in a white body bag had driven away, there were shouts of “there he is, there he is” a few blocks from the crime scene.

A boy had identified the suspect, dressed in a wine shirt over brown trousers, with his backpack in his hand. The alarm drew immediate attention for neighbours to round him up.

He was quickly sent to the Dome Kwabenya District Police Command at Taifa Bankyease.

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Madam Mansa had been missing from home for a while, and suspect Yeboah, who lived with her, had been telling enquirers that she had travelled to Aflao, until calls to Aflao returned with denials. The suspect subsequently fled the house.

An elder son of the old lady, Stephen Dollah, who visited the house, chanced upon what he told the police could be the grave of her mother, following which the police obtained a court order to dig up which turned out to be the decomposing body of Madam Mansa.