Source: newsthemegh.com
Six candidates have been given the all-clear by the Electoral Commission (EC) to run in the Tuesday, April 30 by-election in the Ashanti region’s Ejisu constituency.
On Thursday, April 18, the nomination period finished. Some candidates were rushing to turn in their papers at the EC’s Ejisu district office before the deadline.
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Lawyer Kwabena Boateng, who came in second, is leading the pack.
Beatrice Boakye, a candidate for the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), will come in third place on the ballot, followed by former MP Ing. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, running as an independent.
At the top of the list is Esther Osei, the candidate for the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Joseph Attakora and Gabriel Agyemang Joseph, who are both seeking independent candidacies and are numbered five and six on the ballot, respectively, are holding the final two spots.
The CPP executives’ attempt to prevent their own parliamentary candidate, Esther Osei, from submitting her nomination application caused uncertainty and controversy during the nomination process.
The EC was purportedly instructed by Regional Chairman Emmanuel Gallo not to accept the documents, which left Osei’s campaign team uneasy.
Due to the resignation of multiple high-ranking officials, the CPP is currently embroiled in a legal battle that has resulted in this regrettable incident.
The Regional Chairman’s actions were questioned by Deputy National Organiser Eric Osei Boateng, who also stated that the High Court has already addressed the internal concerns.
The nomination forms have been received following correspondence with the headquarters and regional office of the European Community.
The by-election is being held in the wake of the passing on March 7, 2024, of John Kumah, the sitting Member of Parliament and Deputy Finance Minister.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has decided not to run in the election in the interim.
In an effort to sway voters, the NPP has sent contractors to the constituency ahead of the election to start building roads.