With four candidates on the ballot for today's election in Kumawu, the straightforward matter of a parliamentary by-election for a seat that is generally seen as safe for the in-power New Patriotic Party (NPP) has become a complicated one.
The NPP has held the Ashanti Region seat since 1996, but the good performance of a former party supporter who became an independent in 2020 has changed the dynamics in what has become a crucial battle for the NPP.
The candidate in question, Kwaku Duah, shares the same name as the other independent candidate, a younger man who some political observers have said could just be a pawn in the elder candidate's larger political game.
The NPP, whose member's death prompted the by-election, cannot afford to let the seat pass because it only has the slightest numerical advantage in the two-party Parliament, where each parliamentary debate is precariously balanced between the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The stakes were so high that the police yesterday said they had sent enough officers to Kumawu in preparation for the by-election today.
In a statement released and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, "We wish to assure the people of the Kumawu Constituency to go about their normal activities freely, including going out to exercise their civic duty of casting their vote," said
In order to conduct a peaceful election and safeguard everyone's safety and security, the statement said, "We would like to urge the general public, especially the people of the Kumawu Constituency, to work with us."
In order to improve cooperation amongst all stakeholders and guarantee a peaceful election, it was stated that the police had already met with key players, including the leadership of the NPP, the NDC, and one of the independent candidates.
The other independent candidate was not able to attend the meeting despite being invited.
The NPP seems to be more concerned with the senior Duah's candidate, who is represented by a bird on the ballot.
In the most recent parliamentary election in 2020, he broke with the party and ran as an independent, placing second. He received 11,698 votes, or 39.96% of all valid ballots cast. The late Philip Basoah, the NPP's candidate at the time, received 14,960 votes, or 51.11 percent.
Bernard Opoku Marfo, the then-NDC candidate, finished third with 2,439 votes, or 8.33 percent, while Nana Amoako, the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) candidate, received 174 votes, or 0.59 percent.
President Akufo-Addo defeated John Mahama of the NDC in the presidential election with 23,502, or 80% of the legitimate votes cast.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0