Former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and Bulk Oil Supply and Storage (BOST) under the Mahama administration, Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, has urged members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti region to be resolute and work hard for the party’s victory in the upcoming elections.

He observed that the return of NDC to power in 2021 relies on the selflessness and vigilance of polling station executives and the youth during the ongoing Electoral Commission’s nationwide registration exercise as well as the December polls.

Mr Awuah-Darko made this known at Mampong Ashanti when he joined some executives of the NDC in the region to monitor the exercise.

“Today, I continued my registration and monitoring rounds to the Ejura and Mampong Constituencies in the Ashanti Region. Together with the Parliamentary Candidates, Hon Bawa of Ejura and Dr. Frank Amoakohene of Mampong, we visited 17 Registration Centres in the two constitiencies in the Ashanti Region,” the former TOR boss noted.

Mr Awuah Darko, a native of the region, had earlier visited some registration centres in the Asante Akim South to have first hand information on the exercise and to support party agents.

“I made a donation to the youth volunteer groups in the Constituencies,” he stated while urging all NDC members to support the party’s victory course in their own little ways.

Although Mr Awuah-Darko was not nominated as the running mate for NDC’s 2020 flag bearer, H.E John Mahama, as was widely rumoured, he is enthused about helping the party maximize its fortunes in the region considered as a stronghold of the ruling NPP.



Attacks

Just like other centres across the country where pockets of violence marred the exercise, some NDC members in the Ashanti Region came under attack during the exercise.

The NDC candidate for Ejura was attacked by persons suspected to be linked to the NPP earlier this month.

“Hon Bawa of Ejura was viciously attacked by political hooligans on July 6th. I thank God he is healthy and in good spirit,” he said.

Condemning the act, Mr Awuah-Darko political violence is not good for the country’s development.

“We must say no to political violence,” he added.

Registration Exercise

The Electoral Commission (EC) started the fourth phase of the voter registration exercise on July 19,2020.

The registration at the district offices is ongoing for the aged, nursing mothers, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.

In their last update, the EC announced it had registered a total of 7,279,237 in 16 days, which represented 48.5 per cent of the targeted 15 million applicants for the exercise.

Of the number, the Greater Accra Region had registered the most applicants, with 1,524,600 having been enrolled in the electoral roll, followed by the Ashanti Region that registered 1,319,498.

In the Eastern Region, 694,541 people had been registered, whilst, the Central Region had also registered 676,484 prospective voters.

The Northern and Western regions had registered 434,601 and 440,585 applicants in the 16 days’ exercise, respectively.

Similarly, 293,284 people had been registered onto the electoral roll in the Bono Region, 261,503 in Bono East and 251,134 in the Upper East Region.

Also, 194,894 applicants had been placed onto the electoral roll in Upper West, 196,819 in Western North, 148,111 in Oti and 144,961 in the Ahafo Region.

The rest were; North East, Savannah and Ahafo regions who had recorded the least number of prospective voters onto the EC’s electoral roll, with, 123,715, 126,980 and 144,961, respectively.

The mass compilation of new voters register commenced on June 30 and it is expected to end on August 6, 2020.