The by-election to elect a new Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu Constituency in the Ashanti Region is slated for May 23, the Electoral Commission (EC) has announced.
It followed the death of the former MP of the area, Philip Basoah at the age of 53 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on March 27.
According to the EC in a statement signed and issued by its Chairperson, Jean Mensa in Accra yesterday, the exercise would be conducted in line with Article 112 (5) of the constitution.
"The Electoral Commission wishes to announce for the information of the general public that following the death of the Member of Parliament for the Kumawu Constituency, Philip Basoah, the seat of the constituency in Parliament has become vacant.
"In accordance with Article 112 (5) of the constitution as amended, the Electoral Commission will hold a by-election in the constituency on Tuesday, the 23rd of May, 2023," the statement noted.
In this regard, it said, the Commission would receive nominations from prospective candidates from May 2 to May 5 at the Sekyere Kumawu District Office of the EC.
"Accordingly, the Commission will receive nominations from prospective candidates for the election of a Member of Parliament for the said constituency.
"The nominations will be received at the Sekyere Kumawu District Office of the Commission from May 2 to 5," the statement added.
Already, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) had cleared six Parliamentary aspirants for the Kumawu constituency to contest primaries of the party.
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Among the aspirants who have picked the forms on the ticket of the NPP are the current Director of Health Promotion at the Ghana Health Services (GHS), Dr Aboagye Dacosta; a former MP of Kumawu, Opanyin Yaw Baah; Obaapa Ama Serwaa, Ernest Anim, Dr Philip Yaw Barnor, Edward Kofi Osei, Kwame Appiah Kubi and Owusu Bempah.
The party has further scheduled to select a candidate ahead of the by-election at Kumawu on Sunday, April 23.
Meanwhile, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has resolved to win the upcoming Kumawu by-election.
The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, Frank Amoakohene, said the party would snatch the Kumawu parliamentary seat from the NPP.
According to him, the Kumawu branch of the NDC was ready for the by-election.
The late Philip Basoah was born on November 18, 1969 and hailed from Kumawu.
He had a master's degree from the Paris graduate school of management in 2012 and also had a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana in 2000.
He also had his GCE A level in 1994 and his GCE O level in 1991 and his MLSC in 1986.
He was the project coordinator for Ghana Education Service in the Ashanti Region.
He was also the District Chief Executive at the Ministry of Local Government for the Sekyere East District from June 2005 to January 2009. He was a tutor at the Agogo Senior High School.
The late Mr Basoah was a member of the sixth and seventh Parliament.
