Eight New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, including a former MP, have picked up nomination forms to contest the party’s primary for the position of parliamentary candidate ahead of the upcoming by-election at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.
Yaw Baah, a former MP who held the seat from 2002 to 2012 after winning it in a by-election; Kwame Appiah-Kubi, the NPP Kumawu Constituency’s First Vice Chairman; and Edward Kofi Osei, formerly of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, are among the contenders.
The others are Dr. Aboagye Dacosta of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Philip Bannor of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency, Nana Ama Serwaa of the Education Ministry, Ernest Yaw Anim, a failed DCE candidate, and Osei Hweree Kwame Bempah of the NPP Communication Team.
The Kumawu seat became vacant following the death of the Member of Parliament (MP), Philip Atta Basoah, on March 27, 2023, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where he had been admitted momentarily.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, on March 31, 2023 declared the Kumawu seat vacant and asked the Electoral Commission (EC), through the Clerk to Parliament, to take appropriate action to find a replacement for the late MP by conducting a by-election.
The declaration was in accordance with Article 112 (5) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that “Whenever a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the Clerk to Parliament shall notify the Electoral commission in writing within seven days after the vacancy occurred, and a by-election shall be held within 30 days after the vacancy occurred.”
“I have asked the Clerk to write to the Electoral Commission against the unfortunate departure of our colleague which has led to occurrence of a vacancy in the House,” he stated.
“As a clear and unambiguous communication from Parliament to the Electoral Commission and a notice to Ghanaians and particularly, the constituency concerned,” the Speaker added.
“In the exercise of the power conferred and the duty imposed on the Clerk to Parliament by Section 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana Amendment Act 1996 (Act 527), I Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, Clerk to Parliament, do hereby formally notify you of the occurrence of a vacancy on March 27, 2023 in the membership of Parliament necessitated by the death of Mr. Philip Basoah, Honourbale Member of Parliament for Kumawu,” the Speaker read the letter.
As a result, the NPP opened nominations on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, which will come to a close today, April 14, 2023, ahead of the by-election for potential candidates, with the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako aka Wontumi, guaranteeing all candidates of unquestionable access to nomination forms.
The aspirants are expected to go through a vetting process before the contest to choose one of them to represent the party during the by-election.
By Ernest Kofi Adu