Els: MBN360 News
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly failed to elect a presiding member on Thursday after two rounds of voting at the Prempeh Assembly Hall.
Incumbent Patrick Kwame Frimpong and challenger Ernest Baffour Ofori contested the position, with 66 assembly members casting ballots. In the first round, Frimpong received 35 votes to Baffour’s 24. The second round saw Frimpong get 36 votes and Baffour 23.
Both totals fell short of the two-thirds majority required to secure the position. Two other aspirants, Isham Alhassan and Kwame Agyemang, withdrew ahead of the vote. The election was supervised by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, in line with local governance regulations.
Kumasi Mayor
The assembly is now expected to hold further consultations before attempting another vote to fill the presiding member position, leaving leadership in the city’s local authority temporarily unresolved. Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Bodi** says the failure to elect a presiding member at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly could delay key projects awaiting House approval.
“For me I am not surprised at the outcome. Both members have support of a chunk of the members. We can only conduct ourselves within the framework of the law and go and emgage a lot more deeper and have members convinced so that we will have a presiding member approved.
Read also:
- Ghana moves to international arbitration over maritime boundary with Togo
- President Mahama to deliver State of the Nation Address on February 27
- Supreme Court Rules Against Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs
- CDD-Ghana Warns Against Rushed Laws Under Mahama’s First Year
- Ghana Retains Global Crown In Mobile Money Regulation
“There are projects that we have to bring before the General Assembly so we can proceed. With this development those cannot be done. What it would mean is that we may suffer the requirement but I am when we meet again we will end this stalemate” the Mayor posited.
Level-playing field
“I remain neutral”, Ofori-Boadi noted. “These are persons I have good relationship and I will continue to remain neutral and I am ready to work any member. I am going to try as much as possible to stay neutral. Kumasi residents should also engage their respective assemblymen to get the need to get a presiding member so the assembly can run smoothly.”
Assemblymen
Mixed reactions greeted some of the assemblymen who spoke with our reporter. They were however optimistic the Assembly will elect a new presiding member during the next meeting.
“Very unfortunate”, one of them said. We thought it was going to be a done deal for one of them but of course each of us has an opinion. Politics took a different twist today but I know it will change when we meet again. The Mayor is in a hurry to turn things around and so we should not disappoint him”
“For me I was expecting a one touch victory but it didn’t happen. These are all part of the politics. But I am sure we will get back to conclave make the right decision in the interest of Kumasi and the people.”
