An Assembly member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Abdullah Muaza, traded blows with a National Democratic Congress (NDC) serial caller on Tuesday, during proceedings to elect a Presiding Member for the assembly.
The Assembly members had on several occasions failed to elect a Presiding member to chair meetings of the assembly which is affecting development in the metropolis.
At the KMA’s fifth sitting, and eighth voting session at the assembly today[Tuesday], Muaza, Assembly man for the Ayigya electoral area, landed a blow on the face of Yakubu Tony Aidoo, a known NDC serial caller after the former accused the Assembly members of being “corrupt.”
According to him, the Asawase NDC secretary is to blame for the delay in electing a Presiding Member.
Tony Aidoo further complained that the Kumasi Metropolis would not be engulfed in so much filth if they had successfully elected a presiding member to oversee the affairs of the Assembly.
His comment did not sit down well with assembly member from Ayigya who according to reports, gave Yakubu some slaps.
Meanwhile, voting is yet to commence though it was scheduled for 9:00am today, Tuesday.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, acting as the Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, said members of the public will not be allowed inside the voting hall.
It is believed that the two candidates who have over time failed to secure two-thirds of votes from the assembly to chair the affairs of the assembly, will step down for other candidates to contest.
The KMA currently has 147 members, 91 of them elected, 44 appointed and 10 ex-offico members, who are Members of Parliament (MPs).
Similar incident occurred in May
In May 2016, an election to choose a presiding member for the KMA was similarly disrupted by an Assemblyman for the Nhyiaeso electoral area,Abraham Boadi who alleged that the process was tampered with.
Mr. Boadi stated that some of the candidates were not made aware of the changes that had been made to the process ahead of time.
“They didn’t inform the candidate [ahead of time], the electorate was not aware. They just inform [impromptu] us and they want to start doing the election and we are saying no, that is wrong. We should know the number of ballot papers you are printing,”he said.
The development led to the confrontation between sympathizers of the two candidates as the supporters of one of the candidates, Kofi Senya demanded to know the number of ballot papers printed and the supporters of Nana Adumhene claiming the other side did not have the authority of question the EC.
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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana