Hundreds of jubilant supporters of the Member of Parliament for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency of the Eastern Region took to the main streets of the constituency Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the victory of lawmaker Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi in Monday’s parliamentary elections.

The MP, moments after the municipal returning officer, Derrick Ampofo pronounced him as the MP-elect, led a convoy of enthusiastic party faithful from the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, through the principal streets of Agomanya and Ablotsi and then to his residence at Odumase.

Spontaneous celebrations by supporters of the NDC greeted the announcement of Mr. Terlabi as the winner of the polls which collation had dragged on until Tuesday afternoon.

The legislator who by the virtue of his victory has secured a third term bid, floored the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Samuel Nuertey Ayertey who was expected to give him a very stern contest following a closely contested race four years ago where the incumbent won with a difference of some 327 votes from a vote difference of over 8000 recorded in 2016.

Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi emerged victorious at the end of Monday’s contest, beating Samuel Nuertey Ayertey with 26,991 votes against his opponent’s 22,029 with Daniel Ofoe who ran on the ticket of the Ghana Union Movement garnering 694 votes.

In the presidential race, President Akufo—Addo secured 18,515 with NDC flagbearer, John Mahama also recording votes of 29,940.

But the MP said his victory margin of nearly 5000 votes meant his closest contender was no match for him.

The MP who attributed the 2016 close contest to the vengeance of supporters of defeated candidates in the party’s primaries prior to the elections said apathy by supporters of the party in that year also played a major role.

“Those who were with those I contested with felt that once their candidate lost, they must revenge and so they voted en bloc for the NPP candidate, so it was 3000 that was lifted. NDC 3000 was lifted and then given to him,” said Mr. Terlabi.

One of the core issues of the MP’s campaign was the impasse of electricity bills that resulted in clashes between power consumers and its providers, the then PDS which resulted in some protesters being shot.

Critics have chided the MP for taking advantage of the situation to instigate voters against his opponent and the government in order to get an unfair advantage. But dismissing these assertions, Mr. Terlabi said the poor handling of the issue smacked of incompetence.

“The point is that when you display gross incompetence, people will use it against you. It was a display of incompetence on their part. As a regional minister coming from a constituency where there are challenges with electricity distribution, if the people of your constituency decide to embark on a lawful demonstration [you don’t curtail that right with the use of force],” Mr. Terlabi asserted, adding that the use of armed police against protestors was bad. “As a deputy regional minister, what did you do? So if you display such gross incompetence you want me to be praising you?”

He attributed the victory of the NDC in the constituency to its record of developmental projects which he said influenced the choice of the people.

The MP faced what was expected to be a stiff challenge from the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Samuel Nuertey Ayertey who was seeking to write history as the first NPP candidate to snatch the coveted seat from the NDC after losing out to the incumbent in 2016.

Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi in 2012 beat Dedo Agyarko Kusi with 24,367 representing 53.02% to the NPP Candidate’s 16,181 representing 35.21%, a difference of 8,186 which Mr. Ayertey managed to bridge to just 327 votes in 2016.

The NDC has now won all seven parliamentary elections in the constituency since 1992.