Five members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akwatia Constituency of the Eastern Region have declared their intensions to contest the primary ahead of the by-election.
They are the Constituency Chairman, Yaw Addo, his 2nd Vice Chairman, Kwasi Boateng, Mr. Kofi Nyame, Lawyer Yaw Wiredu and the former Member of Parliament, Ama Say.
The date for the primary is yet to be set by the regional executives but reports say these individuals who are party members have decided to come out openly to contest.
The by-election has been necessitated due to the demise of the Member of Parliament, Ernest Yaw Kumi.
One of the aspirants, Kofi Nyame, in an interview with Onua News’ Nsem Titire said they are waiting for the directives from the regional executives to set the ball rolling.
Asked whether the widow, Mavis Kumi is also contesting the primary since her posters have popped up on the social media, Mr. Nyame said the woman is not interested in contesting the primary.
Ernest Kumi died on Monday, July 7, 2025.
Kumi, 40, was a rising figure in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), having won the Akwatia parliamentary seat in the 2024 general elections with 19,269 votes, defeating the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Henry Yiadom Boakye, who polled 17,206 votes.
His death occurred just months after a protracted legal battle over his eligibility to serve as MP. In February 2025, the Koforidua High Court convicted him for contempt after he defied an injunction that barred him from being sworn into Parliament. A bench warrant was issued after he failed to appear for sentencing.
However, in June 2025, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a 4–1 majority decision, ruling that the initial judgment was affected by judicial bias. The decision cleared the way for him to fully resume parliamentary duties.
READ ALSO: Akwatia MP Ernest Kumi confirmed dead
