The Okaikoi North Constituency delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) started dancing immediately polls opened for  Saturday's Presidential Primaries. They danced even more when the polls closed.

This is not usual in Ghana's voting exercises. Polling stations are usually serious business -- characterised by either direct or indirect banter of supporters of the competing candidates.

The atmosphere at voting centres can often swing from a dull, morbid process to fierce tensions and disagreements -- it is never a dancing, merry-making event, at least not until results are declared. So the situation at Okaikoi North was an interesting sight to behold.

Music from loud speakers, blaring every song from 'Dorobucci' to Castro's 'Seihor', greeted journalists and delegates who had thronged the premises either to report, observe or cast a vote. But despite this the voting exercise went on smoothly.

The reason for their happy feet after Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was declared winner with more than 90% of total votes was not difficult to make out -- most of the delegates apparently favoured the man who will be making a third attempt at the Presidency.

However, the reason for their joy from about 7am when polls opened to 3pm when polls closed will beat any imagination, especially when voting at some constituencies was characterised by significant levels of tension.

In fact delegates and polling agents of the three presidential apirants -- Akufo-Addo, Francis Addai Nimoh and Alan Kyerematen -- were extremely friendly to journalists.

Some delegates were even willing to pose for a shot for journalists. They had no qualms with nosy media men and women asking questions, taking shots, zooming in and out with their cameras.

So three hours after witnessing a voting exercise that turned into a full-blown merry making endeavour, it became necessary to get some answers from the delegates and some constituency executives: Why was everybody in such a happy mood? Why were both the old and young just dancing on and on?

THE REASONS

Why were the Okaikoi North constituency delegates happy while misunderstandings over missing names in the voters' registers rocked elections at other polling centres?

The first person to attempt an answer to this question was a 46-year-old delegate.

She had an interesting theory: there was no music at those polling centres where there was tension-- that was her simple answer.

According to her, if constituency executives want to prevent misunderstanding of any kind at the polls, they should include music.

Communications Director for the constituency, Paul Arthur, had a more practical explanation. He said people were happy because all doubts of a possible deliberate voting irregularity had been removed.

According to him, the constituency executives made sure every delegate's name appeared in the voters' register and agents for all three presidential aspirants were firmly a part of the planning and organisation process -- nobody lorded over anybody, nobody intimidated anybody.

Nasara Coordinator for the Okaikoi North Constituency, Abdul Malik Mustapha Badia said the secret is in efforts that went into assuring delegates and party members that the voting exercise would be clean prior to the exercise.

"Here we took our time to explain to the delegates and constituency executives that politics is not a life and death issue. We tell them that when they come to vote they can vote for whoever you want to vote and nobody will harm you. That they must just do what is right", he explained.

Although the entire process nationwide can easily pass as one of the best primaries in Ghana's history, the Okaikoi North constituency executives and delegates can teach us a thing or two.

First politics is not matter of life and death, and music can ease the tension.