Nii Noi rejects Klottey Korle results: Considers going independent

After accepting to contest the re-run of the opposition New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primary in the Klottey Korle Constituency, Nii Noi Nortey, who was shockingly defeated by Philip Addison in Saturday’s poll, refused to sign the Electoral Commission’s declaration form.

According to Citi News’ Kojo Agyemang, his supporters who spoke to him say they will urge him to contest the seat as an Independent Candidate, suggesting that he had been unfairly treated.

Kojo says Mr. Nii Noi Nortey walked off in anger after the result was declared and did not wait to concede defeat or to congratulate the winner.

Close contest – Votes difference is 23

At the end of voting conducted and supervised by the Electoral Commission, Mr. Addison polled 396 out of the 765 votes cast, to beat his only contender, Nii Noi Nortey, who polled 367 votes.

Out of 790 delegates expected to cast their ballot, only 765 voted. Two ballots were rejected.

Previous results

In the previous election, Lawyer Addison only managed a meagre 22 votes, while Nii Noi Nortey garnered 393 votes, with the third contender, Nii Adjei Tawiah, who pulled out of today’s election to back Addison, managing 19 votes.

Mysterious results?

The outcome of today’s polls is somewhat as weird as the previous primary, where Nii Nortey polled as much as 393 votes, only for him to lose today, to the same contender who had just 22 votes in the last polls.

Mr. Addison had insisted that there wasn’t enough time for preparation in the previous election, and that most people did not vote.

It appears his claim has an iota of truth in it because putting together the results of the previous poll for all three contenders, it comes to 434 votes.

This means that more people voted in today’s poll considering that 765 out of the 790 delegates voted. It was somewhat expected that Mr. Nii Noi Nortey who won the first primary, would most likely reject the outcome of today’s polls if it did not favour him.

But speaking after his rather sweet victory but a bitter loss for his opponent, Lawyer Addison said he will unite the rank and file of the party to recapture the seat from the NDC.

The re-run controversy

Today’s elections came off peacefully but with heightened security at the party’s headquarters at Asylum Down, which is located in the constituency.

The security ostensibly became necessary following the tension that had existed between the two aspirants.

Lawyer Addison was the lead counsel for the opposition NPP, when the party contested the 2012 election results at the Supreme Court.

The results of today’s poll will somewhat give credence to Mr. Addison’s claim that the previous election which he boycotted, was a sham, hence his decision to annul the outcome in court.

he fierce contest

Prior to the primary, the two men were brimming with confidence with Addison saying he would win because some men from the camp of his opponent had pitched camp with him because of some promises he made to them which had not been fulfilled. But Nii Nortey said he had done so much work, and that it was naive on the part of Mr. Addison to think he was going to win, merely because some of his campaign team members had switched to his camp.

Will there be unity?

Looking at how events have turned out in the constituency, the party would have to do a lot more to remain united going forward into the November polls.

The Klottey Korle seat has been won twice by the NPP in 1996 and 2000, before it lost it to the NDC’s Nii Armah Ashietey, the incumbent MP.

NDC’s dilemma

Coincidentally, the NDC in the same Constituency is also faced with a difficulty of who leads the party in the November polls. The daughter of former President Rawlings, Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, who was elected in the party’s November primary, is being challenged in court by the incumbent MP, Nii Armah Ashietey. Mr. Ashietey says Dr. Zanetor Rawlings was not qualified to contest the poll since she’s not a registered Ghanaian voter as the Constitution prescribes.

BY-CITIFMONLINE.COM/

Nii Noi rejects Klottey Korle results: Considers going independent