Registered voters in the Nkoranza South and North districts in the Bono East Region go to the polls today to elect assembly and unit committee members in the District Level Elections (DLEs).

The elections follow the expiration of the term of the assembly and unit committee members in the two districts in accordance with the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I. 89).

The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Benjamin Bano-Bioh, told the Daily Graphic that the EC was well prepared for today’s DLEs, adding that all the required materials for the elections had been received by affected districts.

Rationale

The EC on December 19, 2023, conducted DLEs to elect assembly and unit committee members for the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across the country in 6,272 electoral areas and 38,622 polling stations nationwide in 259 districts out of a total of 261.

There were no elections in Nkoranza North and South in the Bono East Region because the polls were held in the two districts in April 2020, and the next one is to be conducted for both districts in 2025.

By-elections

Aside from the Nkoranza South and North, where fresh elections are being conducted today, there are also by-elections taking place in some electoral areas in nine other regions, as well as the Atebubu-Amantin District in the Bono East Region, to fill vacant positions.

The other nine regions are Central, Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti, Northern, Savannah, Upper West, North East and Upper East. 

Statistics

The Bono East Regional Director of the EC, Dr Gabriel Dei Yeboah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said 194 people are contesting in the Nkoranza South and Nkoranza North, as well as Atebubu-Amantin.

They are made up of 187 males, representing 98 per cent, and seven females, representing four per cent.

In the Nkoranza South, a total of 94 candidates, made up of 92 males and two females are contesting.

The Nkoranza South Constituency election is expected to be conducted in 29 electoral areas.

In Nkoranza North, there are 98 contestants comprising 93 males and five females.

The election is also expected to be conducted in 26 electoral areas.

However, in the Atebubu-Amantin District, the EC said it would conduct the election at only one electoral area.

At the end of the nominations, only two males filed to contest the assembly member election in the electoral area.

Unit Committee

Dr Yeboah said there would also be a Unit Committee Election in Nkoranza North and Nkoranza South.

He said a total of 399 candidates were contesting for the unit committee positions in the Nkoranza North District and Nkoranza South Municipality.

Dr Yeboah said they were made up of 367 males, representing 92 per cent and 32 females, representing eight per cent.

He said in the Nkoranza North, there were 190 candidates, made up of 176 males and 14 females.

Dr Yeboah said in the Nkoranza South Constituency, 191 males and 18 females were contesting in the unit committee election.