NDC settles confusion over Ketu North primary, declares Edem Agbana winner
Edem Agbana, a former Deputy National Youth Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has emerged as the legitimate winner of the parliamentary primary held in the Ketu North Constituency of the Volta Region. The announcement confirming his victory was made by Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC, on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The declaration followed a thorough investigation by a committee that was set up to probe the dispute that arose during the primary.
During the primary, a dispute occurred between Edem Agbana and his contender, John Adanu Zewu, as the vote count resulted in a tie. In an effort to resolve the deadlock, two recounts were conducted at the request of John Adanu. It was discovered during the recount that three ballot papers had not been properly stamped. Interestingly, two of the unstamped ballots were found to be in favor of Edem Agbana, while one was in favor of John Adanu.
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Despite the Electoral Commission not officially declaring Edem Agbana as the winner, he maintained that he had secured victory with 360 votes compared to his opponent’s 359 votes. Speculation arose regarding the possibility of a rerun of the polls in the Ketu North Constituency. However, the NDC put an end to these speculations during a news conference held in Accra, where they announced the legitimate winner.
Fifi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC, clarified the situation by explaining that the unstamped ballot papers in question were part of the original ballot booklet provided by the party. Therefore, their inclusion did not result in over-voting or any form of irregularity. The NDC committee, headed by the National Chairman, carefully considered the circumstances and concluded that the will expressed by the voters should be respected.
The original result showed Edem Agbana securing 360 votes, closely followed by John Adanu with 359 votes. Recognizing the close margin, the NDC committee ultimately upheld the will of the people of Ketu North and declared Edem Agbana as the winner. The committee’s decision was based on the belief that the unstamped ballot papers were authentic and part of the original booklet provided by the party.
Edem Agbana, the former Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NDC, has been officially declared the winner of the Ketu North Constituency parliamentary primary. Despite the initial tie and subsequent dispute, the NDC committee determined that Edem Agbana received the most valid votes and therefore deserved the victory.
