Mr. Yamoah Ponkoh polled 38 out of a total of 68 valid votes cast. He needed 46 votes to secure the endorsement but he fell short by eight votes. He was first rejected in December 2015and had two more chances left to secure confirmation from the members of the assembly, according to Local Government law.

Speaking on Joy News on Tuesday, Mr Yamoah Ponkoh said the NPP Regional Chairman, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, knows his ability to hurt the NPP's chances in the 2016 elections, a reason they worked against his approval.

“Wontimu has been going round bragging that he will make sure I’m eliminated from the system, he  will get his people who form the majority at the Assembly to vote against me. The local government is politicised. Wontumi has been meeting the Assembly members to vote me out. By eliminating me from the Assembly does not mean you have succeeded in moving me out. I am planning to be part of the campaign team of my party,” he said.

Although some criticisms about his style of leadership preceded his nomination, Mr Yamoah Ponkoh will not accept it was a reason he lost.

“What kind of criticisms are we talking about? Criticisms are part of us once you are in the public domain, he noted.

Confronted with an argument that members of his party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), clearly opposed his nomination and the disgruntlement can be from both parties, Mr Yamoah Ponkoh accused the NDC constituency chairman of being in bed with the NPP.

“The so-called constituency chairman is dinning with you people [NPP],” he claimed.