Abu Jinapor retains Damongo seat

The Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has successfully retained his parliamentary seat in the 2024 elections.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate and Minister of Lands and Natural Resources won a second term in office after a hard-fought contest.

He secured 16,222 votes, defeating his main challenger, Adam Mutawakilu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who garnered 14,425 votes.

A total of 30,713 valid votes were cast, with 356 rejected ballots.

Violence erupted in the Damongo Constituency following delays in the declaration of election results, culminating in the death of one person and the destruction of the EC office.

During the protests, frustrated youth stormed the Damongo Municipal Collation Centre and set the EC office ablaze. The fire caused extensive damage to the building and its contents.

In the ensuing chaos, an NDC supporter, Sibannira Mukaila, was reportedly shot. He was rushed to St. Anne’s Catholic Hospital but died shortly after receiving medical attention.

The Ghana Police Service has arrested 12 individuals believed to be involved in the violence, including the arson attack on the EC office.

The National Peace Council and the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP) have strongly condemned the incident, urging residents to exercise calm and restraint.

Eyewitnesses attributed the unrest to agitation over the delay in announcing the election results. The youth’s actions escalated rapidly, leading to significant destruction and the tragic loss of life.

Authorities are continuing investigations while appealing for peace to prevent further escalation.

The Savannah Regional Electoral Commission (EC) therefore called for a Regional Inter-Party Advisory Committee (RIPAC) meeting to determine the way forward regarding the Damongo Constituency election results.