Kumawu:  Pray and vote massively for NDC parliamentary candidate – Mahama

Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, is entreating members of the party to vote massively for the party’s parliamentary candidate for Kumawu to win the seat in the upcoming by-election.

Akwasi Amankwaa popularly known as ‘Tom Cee’, the NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Kumawu was acclaimed by the party in April and went unopposed during the party’s recent presidential and parliamentary primaries on May 6.

He will face off with Ernest Yaw Anim, the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate.

The electoral management body Electoral Commission (EC) has slated May 23 for the Kumawu by-election.

The by-election follows the demise of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) MP, Philip Basoah who passed away in March, aged 54.

The by-election has generated interest among the two leading political parties-the governing New Patriotic Party and the opposition NDC, with the former giving indications of retaining the seat for the NPP and the latter being confident of snatching the seat.

Interacting with the Muslim community in Kumawu in the Ashanti Region on May 19, the former President called on NDC members to ensure that the parliamentary candidate wins the by-election.

“We all know that constitutionally, after the death of our younger brother Philip Basoah, there has to be a by-election. We acclaimed Akwasi Amankwaa for the 2024 general elections, but now that we are in for a by-election, he will be representing the party.

“I’m calling on our Zongo chiefs, Imams and all of you to pray and vote massively for Akwasi Amankwaa to win the seat. NDC brings relief anytime we are in power. We in the NDC do not discriminate, we share projects across the board. Though we have not won the Kumawu seat before, all beautiful projects in Kumawu were undertaken by the NDC government. We know that your prayers and God’s grace will bring us to power”.

Mr. Mahama on Friday further officially introduced the party’s parliamentary candidate for the Kumawu by-election, Akwasi Amankwaa, to the Kumawuhene, Barima Sarfo Tweneboah Kodua II.

Mr. Mahama was in Kumawu together with the leadership of the NDC to campaign ahead of Tuesday’s by-election.

The Government has denied allegations that recent infrastructural development ongoing in the Kumawu constituency aims to influence voters ahead of the by-election.

The town, which had not witnessed any major upgrades over the years, has experienced significant development in the past few days.

Numerous untarred roads in the area have been paved, and construction of new roads is currently underway.

Background

The Member of Parliament for the Kumawu Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Philip Basoah died on March 27, 2023.

Mr. Basoah was born in 1969.

He first came to Parliament in 2017 after winning the 2016 general elections in the Kumawu constituency.

Prior to sailing to Parliament, Mr. Basoah was a Chief Executive for the Sekyere East District from June 2005 to January 2009 and was also a tutor at the Agogo State College.

In the 2016 Ghana general elections, he won the parliamentary seat with 21,794 votes making 78.2% of the total votes cast on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.

In the 2020 Ghana general elections, he won the parliamentary seat with 14,960 votes making 51.1% of the total votes cast.