He beat his main contender, New Patriotic Party’s Paul Dekyi, with a vote difference of 2,733. At the close of polls, Afful garnered a total of 15,809 votes [52.64%] as against Dekyi’s 13,076 votes [43.54%].
Abraham Kojo Buadee of the Progressive People’s Party follows with 1,032 votes [3.44%] while United Front Party’s Adjei Elvis secured 113 votes [0.38%].
Of the 62,364 registered voters in the Constituency, only 30,561 people cast their votes in Tuesday’s by-election of which 531 votes were rejected for various reasons.
The figure puts the total voter turn of 49 per cent, which was predicted by CODEO which described the exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission as “peaceful and transparent” notwithstanding the late arrival of electoral materials and pockets of misunderstanding in some polling centres.
The seat became vacant following the death of the Member of Parliament for the area, John Gyetuah, in October. The NDC MP was laid to rest at the weekend.
The Amenfi West Constituency has been the stronghold of the NDC since 1992 and the Party has always held the seat until 2003 when the MP at the time, Mr Kofi Asante resigned. NPP’s Agnes Samfo was consequently voted in a by-election but the NPP lost the seat to the late Gyetuah in the 2004 elections.
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s by-election could be described as a savior for the people in the Constituency as brought in its wake, a sudden drastic road construction within the constituency.
Feeder roads within the constituency, particularly Asankragua, were in the last minute asphalted while those in deplorable state were also been given a facelift by the government in what observers said was intended to influence the voters to vote for the NDC’s candidate.
As at late Monday night and Tuesday dawn, construction work was busily ongoing at Asankragua.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com
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