According to him, persons captured in the viral video sharing cups of rice, cloth among other items were active members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) based at Kumawu.

Mr Anim disclosed this on Oyerepa TV while answering questions on accusations that he won the Kumamu bey-election through dubious means.

“I saw the viral video and investigated the people behind the video and I noticed the people were NPP members who teach at Kumawu. They did that because of the love they have for me and the party. So on Mothers’ Day, they decided to do the donation on my behalf. So it was a Mothers’ Day gift. So what is wrong with that? Today when people buy cars for their mothers, they film it and share it on social media. This one was not meant for social media. It is unfortunate that some evil-minded people leaked the video just to accuse me of vote buying,” he explained.

He urged Ghanaians to ignore what he described as NDC propaganda which seeks to undermine the NPP’s victory against the NDC and Kwaku Duah, one of the independent candidates.

“In the Talansi bye-election the NDC did worse things there. They even shared roofing sheets. I’m not justifying what happened in Kumawu before and during the bye-election but the NDC cannot accuse us of something they have done worse.

“On Monday 22 May 2023, I went to Nkwanta and Timati in the evening and an old woman told me that Mr. Ernest, the NDC campaign team, had just left my house. They gave me rice and GHC20.00. While thinking about it I said to myself, are they not the same people sitting on TV and radio accusing us the NPP of vote buying yet they are equally buying all over? I can say on authority that we the NPP didn’t buy votes during the bye-election,” Mr Anim narrated.

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He praised the peaceful conduct of the election and expressed gratitude for the support his party received.

Mr Mahama expressed optimism for the upcoming 2024 general election and credited the hard work of Kwasi Amankwa, the National Democratic Congress candidate.

He also commended the Ghana Police Service for their professionalism. Ernest Yaw Anim, the New Patriotic Party candidate, emerged as the winner with 70.91% of the votes.

Read full statement on Facebook:

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He says the act of electoral ‘clientelism’ and patronage politics that occurred at Kumawu is wrong and must not be allowed to continue.

Speaking to JoyNews on his observations as a polling agent at the Sekyere Kumawu Polling station in the Kumawu constituency, Mr Ablakwa said the act of political inducement also threatens the reputation of the state and comes as a disgrace to Ghana’s democracy. 

He claims his observations pointed to several instances of inducement.

“If it very unfortunate looking at how people have to be given money before they cast their vote. This is a very shameful act and very much not accepted. This will put our democracy in shambles. This is a clear threat to democracy,” he said. 

Mr Ablakwa cautioned the electorate against selling their votes to the highest bidder.

“I would also want to plead with our voters to desist from that. Selling your vote to who has so much money is not right and must not be encouraged,” he advised. 

Due to the high stakes in the election, the two major parties, the NDC and NPP, dispatched MPs and Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives to serve as polling agents.

Both parties accused each other of vote-buying as has been the trend in most bye-elections. In some cases however, JoyNews’ cameras captured the sharing of money to some voters by some party agents on voting day.

In the end, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate retained the seat by a wide margin for the party, defeating the NDC candidate and the two independent candidates.

According to Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande, their performance was sterling because compared to figures in the 2020 general election, they increased their votes.

At the end of the much anticipated by-election on May 23, 2023, the parliamentary candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ernest Yaw Anim, polled 15,264 votes to beat the NDC candidate, Kwesi Amankwah, and two independent candidates, both called Kwaku Duah.

The NDC’s Kwesi Amankwah garnered 3,723 votes while Kwaku Duah (1) had 2,478 votes with the other Kwaku Duah managing a paltry 62 votes.

The performance of the NPP at Kumawu, they argue, is a dress rehearsal to what to expect in the 2024 general election.

But Mr Gbande on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday vehemently disagreed.

He said but for vote-buying and inducing peeved residents at Kumawu with gifts, they would have lost the seat.

“After moving government machinery to Kumawu and engaging in vote-buying exercise, NPP suffered voter apathy of about 48 percent,” he claimed.

Rather, the NDC Deputy General Secretary said the NDC increased its votes by 64 percent with its new candidate, Kwesi Amankwah.

Ahead of the 2024 elections, Mr Gbande said they are re-strategising to match the NPP boot-for-boot.

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Mr Gyamfi noted that although the New Patriotic Party (NPP) allegedly indulged in vote buying, they added a mere 304 votes to their 2020 figure.

He asked the governing party to be concerned about the high voter apathy witnessed in Tuesday’s polls which may reoccur in the 2024 general election. 

“Clearly, our friends in the NPP must be very worried about this alarmingly high voter apathy in Kumawu which can possibly reflect in the 2024 presidential polls.”

About 34,000 voters were expected to partake in the bye-election but there was a little over 20,000 voter turnout.

NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim won with 15,264 votes, emerging victorious to beat NDC’s candidate and two independent candidates, both called Kwaku Duah.

NDC’s parliamentary candidate, Kwasi Amankwaa, polled 3,723 votes which represents 17.29%, a better result as compared to 2020’s 2,439 votes which is 8.3% of the total votes.

Shockingly the first independent candidate, Kwaku Duah got only 2,478 votes, a far lesser figure than 11,698 votes in the 2020 general election.

Below is his statement:

Folks, in the 2020 general elections, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Kumawu Constituency got 2,439 votes representing 8.3% of valid votes, per the Electoral Commission’s certified results.

However, in the just-ended Kumawu by-election, the results declared by the EC show that the Parliamentary Candidate for the NDC got 3,723 votes representing 17.29%. What this means in nominal terms is that the NDC has increased its parliamentary votes by 1,284.

It is instructive to note, that in the 2020 general elections, the NPP’s Parliamentary candidate for the Kumawu Constituency had 14,960 votes representing 51.11% of valid votes, while the independent candidate from the NPP’s fold had 11,698 votes representing 39.96% of valid votes.

Interestingly, in the just-ended by-election, the NPP candidate had 15,264 votes while the independent candidate garnered only 2,478.

What this means in nominal terms is that, after all the unprecedented vote buying we witnessed in Kumawu, the NPP managed to increase their votes by a paltry 304, while about 8,000 voters who voted for the independent candidate from the NPP’s fold in 2020, decided not to vote in the by-election at all (assuming they are real human beings).

In short, the NDC increased its votes by 1,284 while the NPP increased their votes by only 304. The NPP also suffered very high voter apathy and/or voter turnout.

Clearly, our friends in the NPP must be very worried about this alarmingly high voter apathy in Kumawu which can possibly reflect in the 2024 presidential polls.

Given the fact that Kumawu is one of the hard-line traditional strongholds of the NPP in the Ashanti region and given the unprecedented vote buying the NPP and the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government engaged in the run-up to this Kumawu by-election, the results from the Kumawu by-election is VICTORY for the great NDC. There is however more room for improvement for the NDC.

Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta.

Sammy Gyamfi Esq.

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Nana Yaw Gyimah of Joy News, recount the incident, revealing that these young people were eagerly waiting for representatives from any of the aspiring candidates who were willing to pay them money in exchange for their votes.

During the interview conducted by the reporter, the youth claimed to possess evidence that some delegates within the NPP had accepted monetary bribes from candidates during the party’s primary elections several months ago.

They firmly believed that if the NPP engaged in such practices at the internal party level, it was only reasonable for them to engage in similar behaviour during the bye-election. Consequently, they chose to set up camp and sell their votes to the highest bidder.

Allegations of vote buying had become rampant, spreading throughout the Kumawu township, capturing the attention and interest of nearly every young person residing there.

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Mr Ntim says the NDC is losing the election, hence their resort to all manner of allegations against the NPP.

Speaking to the media after visiting some polling centres, the NPP National Chairman said his party is focused on retaining the seat and thus will not be distracted by spurious allegations. 

Mr Ntim, thus, dismissed the claims and urged voters to turnout in their numbers and vote for the NPP’s candidate in the polls, Ernest Yaw Anim. 

“When you’re losing an election, you go about making all manner of excuses. When you’re drowning in a river, even if a leaf from a tree falls, you would want to hold on to it. 

“They are losing the election and they know, that’s why they are making all manner of things. We don’t expect them to say the NPP has done well to win this election,” he said. 

Earlier, a Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had alleged that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was engaging in vote-buying ahead of the election.

Mustapha Gbande said that although the constituency has been a traditional stronghold of the governing party, it has barely experienced any developmental project, hence the decision by the NPP to influence the voters.

Also, some residents of Wonoo in the constituency have alleged inducement by some elements of the NPP.

According to them, some NPP officials are sharing GH¢20 and GH¢10 notes to electorate who voluntarily present their voter’s ID card to prove that they’re eligible to vote.

But in response to these allegations, the National Peace Council said it is yet to receive any tangible evidence of vote-buying.

A Board Member of the Council in the Ashanti Region, Hakeem Baidoo, said no evidence has been provided.

“Some people are aggressive and are saying that people are giving out money, but since we came we have not seen that,” he said in a JoyNews interview. 

On the other hand, some residents have also accused the NDC of engaging in the same tactics. 

“It is true that the NPP people are sharing money here but the NDC also did same yesterday and shared medicine, spraying machine,” a constituent alleged.

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At the Sekyere L/A polling station, numerous voters, primarily women, were seen in a video forming a long queue as they eagerly awaited their turn to receive cash from a polling agent.

The agent, surrounded by these voters, appeared to be distributing the money. It is alleged that this money is being used as a means to influence voters to support a specific candidate.

The bye-election was necessitated by the unfortunate passing of Philip Basoah, the Member of Parliament for the area, who was affiliated with the New Patriotic Party. His death occurred on March 27, prompting the need for a replacement through the bye-election.

By-Election: Some voters rushing for cash from polling agent at the Sekyere L/A polling Station.#DwasoNsem #ElectionHQ #AdomNews #Kumwawu #NPP #NDC #Independent pic.twitter.com/I3kVeCNJAR

— Adom 106.3 FM (@Adom1063fm) May 23, 2023

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A video shared by JoyNews showed some constituents walking away from the agents who had stormed a house near a polling station.

Meanwhile, Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has alleged that the NPP is engaging in vote buying at the ongoing election.

Days before the election, some videos circulated on social media showing some NPP agents distributing cups of rice and cloth to constituents.

But NPP National Youth Organiser, Salam Mustapha, said it was a personal initiative by the ardent NPP follower and not necessarily vote buying by the party.

Voting in the bye-election at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region started smoothly in some polling stations at 7:00 am.

Some voters as early as 6:00 am formed long queues waiting for election officials to open polls.

In all, 34,000 voters are expected to cast their ballot which will take place in 75 polling stations.

Kumawu By-Election: Voters reject 10 cedis from agents of NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate, Ernest Yaw Anim. #ElectionHQ pic.twitter.com/4X2OQrXFU1

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) May 23, 2023

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Mustapha Gbande says that although the electoral area has been a traditional stronghold of the governing party, it has barely experienced any developmental project.

As a result, the NPP has made vote buying their go-to approach since they have nothing to show for their prolonged years of being in power.

According to him, the party knew beforehand that they were heading into the bye-election with a bad fate.

“We’re dealing with a traditional NPP stronghold. But if you look at the antecedent of developments, in terms of government interventions, the NPP today led by Nana Akufo-Addo has nothing to show in that constituency.

“You’re dealing with a government that’s coming into a bye-election at its stronghold with a bad fate. They’re not thinking about development.

“They keep on with their sloganeering approach and engaged in vote buying. They are sharing money. They are engaged in vote buying and sharing of goodies,” he said on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday.

Mr Gbande alleged that the Chief of Staff, the Regional Chairman of the party, some appointees, and others have trooped in to influence vote outcome by sharing monies.

He added that this has become their resort due to fear of losing the seat.

Meanwhile, the politician has expressed optimism about the chances of the opposition NDC snatching the seat from the NPP.

This, he said is underpinned by what the NDC has achieved in the constituency, adding that the party has goodwill.

The Kumawu bye-election is currently ongoing in the Ashanti Region. Gunning for the seat are the NDC, NPP, and two independent candidates.

Although known to be a powerhouse of the NPP during elections, statistics show that although the party keeps winning, the vote figures are steadily reducing.

However, both caucuses would like to claim victory in this one to strengthen their support in the currently hung parliament.

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They claim officials from the camp of NPP are sharing GH¢20/GH¢10 to the electorate who willingly show their voter’s ID card. 

This is to ascertain whether they are voters and to ensure they get them to vote for their candidate, Ernest Yaw Anim, in the election.

One of the displeased constituents, speaking to Adom News’ Nana Boakye Yiadom, criticised the ruling party for such conduct and thus admonished them to desist from it. 

If you take your voters ID card to them then they will give you ¢20 for two people to share. That is what the NPP is doing. 

That is what they are doing here. But we are not interested in that. We want everything to be free and fair, the constituent alleged.

Meanwhile, others have also accused the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of engaging in same tactics. 

“It is true that the NPP people are sharing money here but the NDC also did same yesterday and shared medicine, spraying machine,” another constituent also alleged. 

A statement issued by the Office of the former President said he was accompanied by Kwasi Amankwah, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Kumawu by-election; Fifi Kwetey, the NDC General Secretary; Andrew Nana Kwasi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman and other Executives of the party. 

The family of the late MP expressed their appreciation to Mr Mahama for the visit and for sympathising with them.  

The two main political parties, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have all put in various efforts seeking to annex the parliamentary seat.

Following the demise of Philip Basoah, who was buried over the weekend, the Electoral Commission (EC) issued a notice of poll to conduct a by-election to elect an MP for the constituency.

The EC, which is organising the by-election, has assured that all necessary materials are ready for the by-election.

The parliamentary candidates include: Akwasi Amankwaa popularly known as ‘Tom Cee’, of NDC, NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim, and two other independent candidates both with the same name, Kwaku Duah.

The two main political parties prior to the by-election hit the grounds to canvass votes for their parliamentary candidates.

They both introduced their parliamentary candidate to the chiefs and people of the area.

The flagbearer of the NDC John Dramani Mahama, called on NDC members in Kumawu to vote massively for the party’s parliamentary candidate, Kwasi Amankwaa popularly called ‘Tom Cee’.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has also admonished New Patriotic Party supporters to turn out in their numbers on Tuesday, May 23, to vote overwhelmingly for the party’s parliamentary candidate for Kumawu, Ernest Yaw Anim.

Interacting with NPP supporters at Kumawu ahead of the by-election, the Vice President noted that they want to show Ghana that Kumawu is NPP’s territory and that they are poised to retain the seat.

Both NDC and NPP have pledged to play their respective roles in ensuring peace during and after the Kumawu by-election scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

The assurance came after a meeting between the Inspector- General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, and the leadership of the contesting political parties ahead of the polls.

Some voters as early as 0600 hours had formed long queues waiting for election officials to open polls.

In all, 34,000 voters are expected to cast their ballot which will take place in 75 polling stations.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Ernest Yaw Anim, is the number one on the ballot paper; the National Democratic Congress candidate, Kwasi Amankwa, takes the second spot, while the third and fourth positions are for two independent candidates who bear the same name, Kwaku Duah.

Both NDC and NPP have pledged to play their respective roles in ensuring peace during and after the Kumawu by-election on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

The by-election at Kumawu became necessary following the death of the NPP MP, Philip Basoah.

He died at the age of 53 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Adequate Police personnel have been deployed to Kumawu and the other communities within the Constituency to support the local Police to provide security for the election.

As part of the security arrangement, the Police this morning engaged the parties contesting the election including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and one of the Independent candidates to enhance collaboration among all stakeholders towards a peaceful election. The other independent candidate in the election was, however, unable to honour the invitation for the meeting. The NPP team was led by its National Chairman and General Secretary whiles the NDC team was led by its General Secretary and National Organiser. The Independent candidate represented himself at the meeting.

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. We would also like to urge the general public, especially the people of the Kumawu Constituency to work with us to deliver a peaceful election and ensure the safety and security of all.

This action, according to the group, is due to unpaid arrears which have left trainees living under very bad conditions.

In a press release signed by the convener, David Peterson, the group expressed disappointment in government for the non-provision of jobs for its members after undergoing training for years.

The group has appealed to the government to provide funds to cover their nine-month stipends and other outstanding arrears since 2019.

President Akufo-Addo in 2018 commissioned the employment scheme which he stated will bring dignity to jobless graduates by deploying one hundred thousand personnel into seven modules of public service.

The Kumawu by-election has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, 2023, with stiff competition between four contenders.

Below is the statement:

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In a press release signed by Regional Chairman, Dr Nuh Ben Abubekr, the council called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to oversee a free and fair election.

The council also urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ensure peaceful co-existence before, during, and after the election.

The Kumawu by-election comes off on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, where NPP’s Ernest Anim faces NDC’s Kwasi Amankwaa, and two independent candidates both named Kwaku Duah.

There is a heavy security presence at Kumawu as dozens of security personnel have been deployed to the area ahead of the by-election.

Below is the statement:

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According to reports, the IGP has cautioned both political parties to keep their supporters in check before, during, and after Tuesday’s by-election, adding that any form of misbehaviour will not be countenanced.

The Electoral Commission will on Tuesday, May 23, hold a by-election for the Kumawu constituency following the death of incumbent Philip Basoah in March this year.

The two main political parties, NPP and NDC are on a drive to annex the seat.

With the highly anticipated by-election in Kumawu set to take place in about 24 hours, top political party bigwigs in the NPP and NDC have intensified efforts in their bid to ensure their candidate wins the seat.

Ahead of the by-election, the NDC has accused the NPP of vote-buying after several roads that had been abandoned in the constituency for many years were fixed. Other major projects in the constituency have also commenced.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday encouraged voters in the Kumawu constituency to vote massively for the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate.

While a former President, John Dramani Mahama is making a strong case for the NDC, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia are convincing delegates to vote for their party’s candidate.

The two independent candidates in the race have also vowed to cause an upset.

There is a heavy security presence at Kumawu as dozens of security personnel have been deployed to the area ahead of the by-election.

The four contestants are Ernest Yaw Anim of NPP, NDC’s Kwasi Amankwaa, and two independent candidates both known as Kwaku Duah.

The Commission said it was compelled to change the symbol of the second independent candidate which conflicted with that of the other independent candidate.

This means Mr Duah would no longer be represented by a falcon, as advertised earlier in a draft notice of poll.

Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, Benjamin Bano-Bio, told JoyNews that the EC is mandated by CI 127 to approve and disapprove symbols of independent candidates and political parties.

The Electorate in the Kumawu constituency until now have expressed misgivings about the two independent parliamentary candidates who appear in Kente cloth but are represented by a dove and a falcon.

They also bear the same name — Kwaku Duah— with the same spelling.

Some constituents have opined the move could form part of machinations to dissuade supporters of one of the independent candidates who contested the late Member of Parliament, Philip Basoah in the 2020 parliamentary election.

Whilst the then-incumbent MP polled 14,960 votes, the independent candidate, Kwaku Duah polled 11, 698 votes, representing 51 and 39 per cent respectfully.

Mr Bano-Bio says the first draft of the Notice of Poll which had the dove and falcon was leaked to the public.

According to him, the NDC parliamentary candidate, Kwasi Amankwaa, also changed his picture.

The Commission said it was compelled to change the symbol of the second independent candidate which conflicted with that of the other independent candidate.

This means, Kwaku Duah would no longer be represented by a falcon, as advertised earlier in a draft notice of poll.

Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Benjamin Bano-Bio, told JoyNews that the EC is mandated by CI 127 to approve and disapprove symbols of independent candidates and political parties.

Electorate in the Kumawu constituency until now have expressed misgivings about the two independent parliamentary candidates who appear in Kente cloth but are represented by a dove and a falcon.

They also bear the same name — Kwaku Duah— with the same spelling.

Some constituents have opined the move could form part of machinations to dissuade supporters of one of the independent candidates who contested the late Member of Parliament, Philip Basoah in the 2020 parliamentary election.

Whilst the then-incumbent MP polled 14,960 votes, the independent candidate, Kwaku Duah polled 11, 698 votes.

Mr Bano-Bio says the first draft of the Notice of Poll which had the dove and falcon was leaked to the public.

According to him, the NDC parliamentary candidate, Kwasi Amankwaa, also changed his picture.

The arrival of Dr Bawumia Friday afternoon set the constituency agog, as frenzied constituents, both young and old, came out in their numbers to cheer and welcome the Vice President and listen to his message.

In towns he visited, including Sekyere and Woraso, Dr Bawumia was mobbed by a milling and enthusiastic crowd, giving him a hard time walking through on many occasions.

In each town, Dr Bawumia and his entourage, including the parliamentary candidate, first called on traditional authorities to seek their permission and blessings before going out to meet the people.

At Sekyere where the NPP candidate hails from, Dr Bawumia symbolically presented the candidate to the chiefs, asking them to pray for him and grant him their blessings ahead of the election.

D Bawumia told the ecstatic crowd how intelligent the NPP parliamentary candidate is, and how in him, they will find a worthy successor to the late MP. 

He urged Kumawu constituents to come out in their numbers on voting day to prove to the world that “Kumawu is indeed the home of the NPP.”

Dr Bawumia and his wife are expected to join bigwigs of the NPP for the burial and funeral rites of the late MP, Philip Atta Basoah on Saturday at Kumawu.

The NPP is scheduled to have its final rally on Sunday ahead of the elections on Tuesday.

The Vice President is expected to address an anticipated mega rally, which will also be attended by other party bigwigs.

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Speaking on Asempa FM Ekosiisen show, he indicated that constituents will reward the NPP for their hard work on May 23, 2023.

“Kumawu is NPP’s seat. NDC should have sat home and waited for NPP to battle with the independent candidate because it is a family affair.”

He refuted claims that the roads in the constituency are being constructed because of the by-election.

According to him, the road contract was awarded last year in September and construction started a week before the demise of the incumbent Member of Parliament, Philip Basoah.

He indicated that constituents are pleased about the road construction.

“It is not true that we started working on the roads because of the by-election. Hon Ayew posted on Facebook in September, 2022 that the road has been awarded. Constructions started a week before the unfortunate demise of Hon Philip Basoah,” he said.

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According to him, this will help prevent a reoccurrence of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.

In a Facebook post, he alleged that a container full of ammunition accompanied by two pick-ups was heading from Accra to Kumawu.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem show, he mentioned that yesterday his team was able to prevent the container from entering Kumawu.

“The police should strengthen the entry points of Kumawu because we do not want a repeat of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.

“We’ve been wild awake since yesterday. I told you I left Kumawu at 11:00 pm preventing it from entering or not taking off at all.

“It did not enter Kumawu, whether it took off or not is not our business, our business was to prevent it from entering,” he said.

Mr Yamin indicated that he did make any official complaint to the police because he knew putting the information out to the public won’t work.

The Kumawu by-election is expected to take place on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, with four candidates including two independent candidates contesting for the seat.

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The race has generated intrigue due to a captivating development involving two out of the four approved candidates.

Ernest Yaw Anim, the elected candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is expected to face a tough challenge in the party’s quest to retain the seat.

His main competitors include Kwaku Duah, a former party member who ran independently against the late MP in the 2020 election.

During an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Mr Duah accused the NPP of pressuring him to withdraw from the race.

He firmly stated: “No amount of intimidation will change the minds of Kumawu and what they believe. They have decided to give me the nod, and so the NPP is scared, which is why they are trying to force me to step down, but I won’t.”

Mr Duah emphasised his commitment to the constituency and his determination to continue his developmental work, irrespective of external interference.

In addition to Mr Duah’s re-entry into the race, the NPP is also concerned about the candidacy of Kwasi Amankwah from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Some view Mr Amankwah as a potential beneficiary of the situation and believe he could secure a victory in the traditionally NPP-held seat.

The contest took on another layer of intrigue with the emergence of a new independent candidate named Kwaku Duah, leading to speculation that he may be sponsored by the ruling NPP to undermine the leading independent candidate.

The younger Duah, who hails from Bodomase, chose a dove as his symbol on the ballot paper, coincidentally mirroring the symbol of the senior Kwaku Duah.

During the same show, the second Kwaku Duah dismissed claims that he was being backed by the NPP.

While he declined to disclose his previous party affiliation before becoming an independent candidate, he asserted his right as a native of the town to contest the election and expressed confidence in his ability to compete for power.

The by-election at Kumawu carries significant weight due to the competition between established political parties and independent candidates, as well as the unique situation of two candidates sharing the same name.

He explained that due to the upcoming primaries, party executives and leading party members have been unable to visit the Kumawu constituency to support constituency executives and NDC’s candidate in campaigning.

“I’m worried because Dr Kwabena Duffuor’s action is causing our involvement in the Kumawu by-election and I don’t know whether it’s deliberate.”

“Kumawu by-election is 10 days after NDC primaries. Because of the primaries we as a party, have not gone to Kumawu to assist the Kumawu constituency in doing their campaign,” he explained.

“All NPP members are in Kumawu, their National Organizer, their regional chairman and a host of them. We have not been able to go there. We can only do that after 13^th so that we can go help the constituency executives,” he said on Accra-based Peace FM.

 Meanwhile, an Accra High Court has on Friday, May 12, struck out Dr Kwabena Duffuor’s injunction application against the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.

It followed an application by his lawyers to have the case withdrawn. 

Dr Duffuor’s campaign team had alleged it had not been furnished with an accurate list of persons who are supposed to participate in the May 13, Presidential and Parliamentary polls.

The Kumawu by-election is scheduled for May 23, 2023 where NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim will contest NDC’s Kwasi Amankwaa.

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EC sets date for Kumawu by-election

Speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam Show, he said the ceremony was set for Thursday, April 27, 2023.

However, it has coincided with the one-week observation of the late MP, Philip Basoah, which is also the same date, hence it has been pushed to Friday.

“We would have done our acclamation on the 27^th, Thursday which happens to be the same day for the one-week celebration for the late Kumawu MP.

“For the respect we have for the family we have rescheduled our day to Friday thus 28^th to unveil our candidate,” he announced.

Mr Yamin reiterated that the NDC has high hopes for the Kumawu seat for the first time because of its track record.

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NDC’s candidate, Kwasi Amankwah, is contesting unopposed and will face NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim in the by-election set for May 23, 2023.

In view of this, the Commission will receive nominations at its Sekyere Kumawu District Hospital between May 2nd to May 5th, 2023.

In a statement, EC said interested candidates are therefore required to download the nomination forms from April 14 to May 5, 2023.

The statement signed by EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah noted that, the filing fee for the election is GH¢10,000.00.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on 3rd April 2023 declared the Kumawu seat vacant and directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to commence processes for a by-election.

The declaration was on the back of sitting MP, Philip Basoah’s death on March 27, 2023.

On the back of this, the NPP opened nominations from Monday 11th – 14th April 2023 for interested members to pick forms.

Eight members picked the forms but at the end of vetting on Sunday, six aspirants were cleared to contest the election.

The NPP primaries ahead of the by-election has been scheduled for Sunday, April 23, 2023.

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NDC ready for Kumawu by-election

Meanwhile, Kwasi Amankwah will contest unopposed on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Eight NPP stalwarts are seeking to lead the party as its parliamentary candidate but six got clearance after the vetting.

Chairman of the Vetting Committee, Danquah Smith Buttey did not disclose the basis for the disqualification.

“We are done with the vetting of the aspirants. They have picked their balloting. We need a very credible candidate to win the by-election. They are all credible, but we need someone who is going to win the seat for us” he told Adom News.

“When asked about the fate of the two persons who could not be cleared, he said it is an internal matter.

The NPP has set Sunday, April 23, 2023, to select a candidate ahead of the by-election at Kumawu.

The Electoral Commission (EC) is yet to officially announce a date for the by-election after the Kumawu parliamentary seat was declared vacant following the demise of the sitting Member of Parliament, Philip Basoah.

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This comes on the back of a National Council meeting held on Monday, April 3, 2023.

A statement signed by the General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Koduah noted that, the primaries will be held on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

In view of this, nominations will be opened from Tuesday, April 11 to Friday, April 18.

Nomination forms will therefore be available at the constituency office for interested persons to purchase.

The race for a new parliamentary candidate comes after the sudden death of NPP Kumawu MP, Philip Basoah.

Mr Basoah died on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, aged 54.

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Below is the statement: