Voting underway in Techiman South as 2,544 delegates elect party leaders

Voting is currently underway in the Techiman South Constituency, where a total of 2,544 delegates are casting their ballots to elect the next crop of leaders who will steer the party into the 2028 general elections.

The exercise, held at the Ohene Ameyaw Park in the Techiman Municipality, has drawn 81 candidates contesting for various positions, with delegates drawn from 280 branches across the constituency.

According to the Techiman Municipal Electoral Commission (EC) Officer, William Bamfo Apori, voting commenced at 7:30 am and is scheduled to close at 3 pm.

He explained that the early closing time is deliberate — to allow counting to begin promptly and avoid the exercise stretching into the night, which could pose security risks.

"Voting started at 7:30 am and is expected to end at 3 pm so the counting starts early and not travel into the night for security reasons," Mr. Apori stated.

He also confirmed the scale of the contest: "A total of 81 candidates are contesting for various positions and there are 2,544 delegates from 280 branches expected to vote."

District Police Commander Chief Superintendent Charles Atuah, speaking to Joy News, confirmed that 150 police officers have been deployed to provide security for the exercise.

"150 police officers were deployed to provide security for the exercise and are positioned at strategic points to prevent any incidents," he told Joy News.

He issued a stern warning to potential troublemakers, stating that anyone found attempting to disrupt the process would face the full force of the law.

"Would-be troublemakers who are here to foment trouble will be arrested and detained and would be dealt with accordingly by the law," Chief Superintendent Atuah warned.

Already, one person has been arrested by the police for attempting to allegedly vote using a fake identity card.

The arrest underscores the vigilance of security personnel and electoral officials as the constituency conducts this crucial internal election.

With 81 candidates vying for various positions, the election is seen as a significant step in positioning the party for the 2028 general elections. The outcome is expected to shape the party's leadership structure in the Techiman South Constituency for years to come.

For the NDC, however, the significance of Techiman South extends beyond internal party reorganization. The constituency has remained a painful loss for the party, having eluded it since 2016 despite repeated legal and political battles.

The NDC has consistently contested NPP victories in the constituency. In 2020, the party claimed it had flipped the seat, only for the EC to declare the NPP's Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah the winner with 49,682 votes against Christopher Beyere Baasongti's 49,205 — a margin of just 477 votes. The NDC challenged the outcome in court but failed to overturn the result.

The 2024 contest proved even more contentious. The NDC's Sammy Gyamfi acknowledged that Techiman South was the only seat the party lost in the Bono East Region, conceding that the NDC had won 10 out of 11 constituencies in the region.

The constituency's results were among the most disputed in the country, with the EC ordering a re-collation after the returning officer was allegedly assaulted and forced to declare for the NDC candidate.

The re-collation ultimately confirmed Korsah's victory with 46,663 votes to Beyere's 43,429. The NDC's subsequent election petition was dismissed by the High Court in Techiman in March 2025.

The party has made no secret of its determination to reclaim the seat. The NDC's Bono East Regional Chairman, Unas Owusu, has publicly stated that the party will emerge victorious in Techiman South and all Bono East seats in 2028.

Today's internal election is therefore viewed as a critical first step in that broader strategy — building a cohesive, well-organized party structure capable of mounting a serious challenge in a constituency that has slipped away for nearly a decade.

Delegates have been arriving at the Ohene Ameyaw Park since the early hours of the morning to exercise their franchise, with the process so far described as peaceful and orderly.