More NPP members chase John Kumah’s seat

Over ten people have expressed interest in contesting the vacant Ejisu constituency seat on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

At the last count yesterday afternoon, about 12 were already canvassing for support to win the parliamentary primary to contest the upcoming by-election.

Four-time contender Abenaa Pokuaa Boaitey; former President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi; Portia Acheampong Abronye, wife of Bono Region NPP Chairman Abronye; the current presiding member of the Ejisu municipal assembly, Helena Mensah and the former presiding member of the Ejisu Municipal Assembly, Michael Owusu, have all expressed interests.

The rest are the current 2nd vice constituency chairman, Kwabena Boateng and a lecturer at the Akenten Appiah Menkah University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Dr. Evans Duah, are all set to contest.

Others are Maame Yaa Aboagye, Eric Osei Akoto, Kwame Kyeretwie-Amponsah and Aaron Prince Duah.

FILING AND POLLS

It is not known whether all these people whose flyers are roaming on the internet will be bold enough to purchase and file nominations to vie for the seat.

Nomination and filing were opened on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 and will close on Thursday, April 4, 2024 according to guidelines from the National Office of the NPP.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has said that the party has engaged some potential aspirants, managing to have them rescind their decision to contest the seat in a move to reduce the tall list.

Whoever emerges as the winner on the side of the NPP, after the April 13 internal primary, is likely to face competition from the NDC, which already has a candidate in the person of Jerry Asante, although it is not certain if the party will contest the Ejisu by-election.

The NPP has held the Ejisu seat since 1996 and has acclaimed Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, the then incumbent to lead the party to retain the seat in the December polls, until his demise on March 7 this year.

GUIDELINES

The NPP has set Saturday, April 13, 2024 to elect a candidate for the Ejisu constituency by-election and has thus opened the window for aspirants to purchase and file nominations at the constituency party office.

The General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, announced the timelines and guidelines for the by-election in a statement he signed.

He said that an aspiring parliamentary candidate shall procure nomination forms after the payment of a non-refundable application fee of GH?3,000 in a banker’s draft in the name of the New Patriotic Party National Headquarters, Accra.

“To successfully file the nomination, an aspiring parliamentary candidate shall pay a non-refundable filing fee of GH?35,000.00 in Bankers Draft in favour of the New Patriotic Party National Headquarters, Accra.”

The statement noted, however, that women, youth (persons aged between 18 and 40 years), and persons with disabilities (PWDs) will enjoy a 50% rebate on the filing fees. They will thus be required to pay a non-refundable filing fee of GH?17,500.

The NPP said it has also approved detailed rules and regulations to govern the conduct of the parliamentary primary and would make them available to stakeholders.

EC ANNOUNCEMENT

The Electoral Commission has yet to announce a date for the by-election, but it is still within the 60-day period permitted by law to conduct a by-election in a vacant constituency.

The 1992 Constitution of Ghana mandates the Clerk of Parliament to alert the EC of a vacancy within seven days, after which the EC has 30 days to conduct a by-election, or 60 days in case the vacancy is occasioned by the death of an MP.

Article 112(5) states, “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 thirty days after the vacancy occurred.”

The 6 says, “Notwithstanding clause (5) of this article, a by-election shall not be held within three months before the holding of a general election.”

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