Ashanti regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Augustus Nana Kwasi Andrews, has said the party decided not to contest the Ejisu by-election as an honour to the late John Kumah who served the constituency as a lawmaker before his demise this year.
Rumours were rife over the NDC’s support for independent candidate, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, the reason the party failed to field a candidate for the polls.
Speaking with Afia Tagor on the election coverage on Onua TV Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Nana Akwasi indicated that the NDC has never supported any independent candidate but decided to stay off the exercise as an honour to the late lawmaker.
“We considered one or two things and decided not to go. When we consider the manner with which our brother died and the avalanche of issues surrounding his death, his body still being at the mortuary and others, National [executives] took a decision for us to stay out of the Ejisu contest,” he disclosed.
The Electoral Commission (EC) is set to conduct the by-election for the Ejisu constituency today, Tuesday, April 30, to fill the vacant seat left by the late Member of Parliament (MP) and Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, who passed away on March 07, 2024.
The NPP selected Kwabena Boateng on April 13, 2024, from a pool of nine contenders to vie for the seat and uphold the party’s position.
However, the opposition NDC opted out of participating in the by-election.
Kwabena Boateng faces formidable opposition from former constituency MP, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, who is running independently after parting ways with the NPP.
Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services, assured the public yesterday that all essential materials were ready and would be distributed across all the polling stations this morning.
He stressed that the officials have undergone comprehensive training to ensure a seamless process of the exercise.
The voting hours will adhere to the standard schedule of running from 7am to 5pm, similar to that of the general elections.
The results will be announced at the Coalition Centre, located at the Catholic Church in Ejisu. Dr. Quaicoe reiterated the Commission’s commitment to a fair and transparent electoral process.
Ejisu by-election: ‘I’m not a traitor’ – Aduomi rejects switching allegiance to NDC
