Ernest Yaw Anim
Parliamentary candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ernest Yaw Anim, scored a landslide victory in the Kumawu by-election yesterday.
A final tally of votes gave him 70.91% of the votes, with the candidate of the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kwasi Amankwaa, trailing far behind on 17.28%, the Electoral Commission (EC) announced.
Mr. Anim had 15,260 of the valid votes cast, whereas Mr. Amankwaa obtained 3,719 votes. The two independent candidates, both known as Kwaku Duah, secured a total of 2,530 votes, representing 11.81%.
Mr. Anim’s supporters began celebrating before the announcement after results from more than 70 polling stations revealed that the NPP candidate had taken a lead.
Voting ended about 5:00 p.m., and ballots were counted immediately in the parliamentary by-election, which political parties were using to test public sentiment ahead of the 2024 general election.
The polls were mainly peaceful, with the exception of two problems that concerned NDC agents and officials at one of the polling stations in Oyoko and at the Bodomase Methodist JHS Centre Two.
However, these issues were quickly addressed by Electoral Commission officials, much to the delight of the complaining party.
There were no reports of voting delays, a lack of election materials, or security breaches as normally associated with elections, with encouraging turnout of voters.
The Kumawu seat became vacant following the demise of the legislator on March 27, 2023, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where he was hospitalised momentarily.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin declared the parliamentary seat in the Ashanti Region vacant subsequently and requested the EC to take consequential action by conducting a by-election to get a successor for the late MP.
The declaration is 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.”
NPP Primary
Prior to the by-election, the NPP held a primary for six after two other persons who also picked nomination forms to contest pulled out.
This was after a vetting process conducted on Sunday, April 16.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi