The Asikuma Odoben Brakwa (AOB) District Assembly has failed to elect a Presiding Member after four rounds of voting held over two separate sittings, leaving the Assembly without a leader to preside over its deliberations.
The elections, which were contested by Nana Tobea Danquah II, the Apagyahene of the Breman Asikuma Traditional Council and a government appointee to the Assembly, and Dr Alexander Koomson, the elected Assembly Member for the Breman Benin South Electoral Area, ended in a stalemate.
The first round of voting, conducted on February 27, 2026, saw Nana Tobea Danquah II secure 29 votes while Dr Koomson obtained 18 votes. In the second round on the same day, Nana Tobea Danquah II increased his tally slightly to 30 votes, while Dr Koomson secured 17 votes.
Despite leading in both rounds, Nana Tobea Danquah II fell short of the required threshold to be declared Presiding Member.
Under Ghana’s local governance laws, a candidate must obtain two-thirds of the total membership of the Assembly to be elected Presiding Member.
The AOB District Assembly has 49 members, including the District Chief Executive and the Member of Parliament. However, the Member of Parliament does not have voting rights. This means a candidate must obtain at least 33 votes to be elected Presiding Member.
Following the inconclusive outcome, the Assembly reconvened on March 13, 2026, in accordance with the law which requires a second attempt within ten days if a winner does not emerge in the initial voting.
However, the reconvened session also failed to produce a winner.
In the first round of voting on March 13, Nana Tobea Danquah II again secured 30 votes while Dr Alexander Koomson obtained 17 votes. The second round produced identical results, with Nana Tobea Danquah II maintaining 30 votes and Dr Koomson receiving 17 votes.
The repeated outcome meant that neither candidate was able to reach the constitutional threshold of 33 votes required for election.
Dr Alexander Koomson, who previously served as Presiding Member of the Assembly, was seeking re-election after completing his two-year tenure.
With the elections failing to produce a clear winner, both candidates are now required by law to step aside to allow for fresh nominations and a new election process to be initiated.
The development means the Assembly will have to restart the process to elect a Presiding Member who will chair meetings of the Assembly and guide its legislative and oversight functions.
The stalemate has temporarily delayed the full operationalization of the Assembly as it awaits the election of a new Presiding Member.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com