General News of Monday, 7 December 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Man attempts beating up Presiding Officer at Lower Manya for allegedly influencing voter

Fire Service Personnel averted possible chaos at the Madam No. 2 polling station Fire Service Personnel averted possible chaos at the Madam No. 2 polling station

The timely intervention by a combined security team of Police, BNI officials, and Fire Service Personnel averted possible chaos at the Madam No. 2 polling station in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.

Confusion erupted when an unidentified male voter threatened to beat up the Presiding Officer of the polling station, Narh Abraham Tetteh whom he accused of taking advantage of the request of an aged voter for assistance to vote to attempt influencing her to vote in a particular direction.

"An elderly woman came here to vote and requested my assistance. I led her to the screen to take her through the process only for one of the voters to allege that I was telling her whom to vote for, claiming he knows my political affiliation," narrated the PO.

The incident which occurred at 9 am temporarily brought voting proceedings to a halt until the arrival of the security team.

Odumase District Police Commander, DSP Ernest Kojo Dorkenoo said calm had been restored and voting proceedings restored.

"We were told that some family members were bringing some aged and they were trying to assist them to vote in a particular direction and we came here to talk to them that, it is not the right thing to do," he said.

Meanwhile, police reinforcement has been deployed to the scene.

48 voters had cast their votes as of 9:06 am.

Some 72,923 people in Lower Manya Krobo are expected to partake in today's voting exercise which is being keenly contested between the incumbent MP, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi who's seeking a third term in office, and Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Samuel Nuertey Ayertey.