Wa East District Assembly Fails to Elect Presiding Member for Second Consecutive Time

The Two Contesting Candidates

The Wa East District Assembly's efforts to elect a Presiding Member for the second time within a month have again ended in stalemate, after a second round of voting failed to produce a winner. The election process, held amidst high tension and debate, has now been declared inconclusive, prompting a restart of the nomination process.

During the vote, which saw 36 Assembly Members cast ballots, Hon. Moses Kankpang received 23 votes, while his contender, Hon. Timothy Nbee-naaba, garnered 12. Despite leading in votes, Hon. Kankpang fell short of the two-thirds majority required by Ghana’s Local Government Act for election. The Electoral Commission’s official, Ibrahim Rashid, explained that, according to the law, the process must now revert to fresh nominations, as neither candidate met the constitutional threshold within the stipulated timeframe.

Following the announcement, confusion erupted among Assembly Members and the District Chief Executive, with debates centering on whether a third round of voting could be conducted immediately. Electoral officials clarified that the law prohibits consecutive ballots beyond two rounds within the same process, necessitating a new round of nominations before any further voting.

This development marks a significant setback for the Wa East District, as the Assembly remains without a Presiding Member, a key leadership position essential for the district’s administrative functions. The electoral process will now have to be restarted, with new nominations to be submitted ahead of a subsequent election.

The impasse underscores the ongoing political dynamics within the district and highlights the legal and procedural complexities involved in district-level elections in Ghana. The electoral commission remains committed to ensuring a transparent and lawful process as the district prepares to select its new Presiding Member.