Politics

Akwatia By-Election set for September 2 – Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced the date for a by-election for the Akwatia Constituency. This follows the vacancy of the parliamentary seat.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 30, 2025, and signed by the Chairperson, Mrs. Jean Mensa, the Commission said the by-election will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, in accordance with Article 112(5) of the 1992 Constitution.

The EC further indicated that nominations will be received at the Denkyembour District Office of the Commission from Monday, August 11 to Wednesday, August 13, 2025, during the hours of 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm each day.

Akwatia By-Election set for September 2 – How to participate as a candidate

Prospective candidates are to download nomination forms from the Commission’s website ([www.ec.gov.gh](http://www.ec.gov.gh)) from July 30 to August 13, 2025.

Each candidate must have their nomination form endorsed by two registered voters as proposer and seconder and supported by 18 additional registered voters from the constituency. Candidates are also required to provide written consent to the nomination and submit two passport-sized photographs taken against a red background, showing full face and ears.

The filing fee is GHC 10,000.00 per candidate. However, female candidates and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) will pay a reduced fee of GHC 7,500.00. All completed forms are to be submitted in quadruplicate.

Background

The by-election follows the death of Hon. Ernest Kumi, the sitting Member of Parliament for Akwatia, who passed away on July 10, 2025, after a short illness. His passing left the seat vacant, prompting the constitutional requirement for a by-election to fill the position. Hon. Kumi was serving his first term in Parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In 1992, the NDC’s Gilbert Kwasi Agyei won the seat unopposed due to a boycott by the NPP. Four years later, the NDC retained it with Mohammed Erzuah Siam, who polled 52.9% of the vote.

But 2000 marked a significant shift. The NPP, riding a nationwide victory wave, flipped the seat with Kiston Akomea Kissi, who held on through the 2004 polls.

The 2008 elections were fiercely contested, with NPP’s Kofi Asare narrowly beating NDC’s Baba Jamal in a race marred by disputes and a partial rerun in six polling stations.

In 2012, Baba Jamal bounced back to win the seat for the NDC. However, in 2016, political newcomer Mercy Ama Sey, a NPP candidate, pulled a surprise victory, becoming Akwatia’s first female MP.

The back-and-forth continued in 2020 when NDC’s Henry Yiadom Boakye reclaimed the seat, only to lose it in 2024 to NPP’s Ernest Yaw Kumi, whose win was later upheld by the Supreme Court after legal challenges.