As predicted, the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate in the Kumawu bye-election, Ernest Anim, polled 15,264 to emerge the new MP for Kumawu, replacing Philip Basoa, whose death necessitated the election. Kwesi Amankwah of the NDC polled 3,723 to come a distant second. Yet, the NDC is patting him at the shoulder because his numbers appreciated some 1000 votes as compared to what he garnered in the 2020 general elections.
And so, considering the fact that Kumawu is a perennial stronghold of the NPP, NDC find in the performance of their candidate, a feat worth celebrating than bemoaning. The much touted Kwaku Duah, the independent candidate, who nearly caused upset in 2020, had in his previous attempt, yanked a whopping 11,000 and over votes. That was whittled down to a meagre 2,478 in the bye-election. The Wontumi created nuisance, yet another Kwaku Duah, had only 62 votes.
The second Kwaku was pushed into the fray to curtail the numbers of his uncle and the first independent candidate. Kamawu was considered a special project by the ruling administration. The entirety of government’s machinery descended on the little township for the special operation. Of course, when vote buying became a cynosure of public eye without a blink by the perpetrators, what do you expect of the outcome? The NPP was not particularly bothered about the NDC candidate, but the one of their own who had decided to stab them at the back.
Kwaku Duah, an independent candidate in both the 2020 elections and the just ended bye-election gave the late Basoa, a real scare during the latter election, before Basoa eventually prevailed in one of the slimmest of margins in the last parliamentary elections. The dynamics in the general elections were totally different in the bye-election. Managers of Kwaku Duah were simply driven by the excitement of the feat chalked by their man in the 2020 polls. What they refused to reconcile with the Kumawu bye-election, was the fact that the conditions prevalent for the two settings were totally different.
For instance, what necessitated the decision by Kwaku Duah to run independent against Basoa? Were those conditions still prevalent at the time of the bye-election? Were there attempts to resolve whatever differences that existed between Basoa and Kwaku Duah after the 2020 elections? Did the independent candidate offer to compete in the NPP parliamentary primary when nomination was opened in the bye-election or his sole aim was to still run as an independent candidate?
If backers of the independent candidate could not pose and answer to some of these questions before committing him to the bye-election, then they did him a great disservice. The fact that Kumawu is a stronghold of the NPP, anyone who could stand in the way of the party at the constituency, would be sacrificed to ensure that the NPP retained the seat. More so, when there was no longer the Duah- Basoa beef. The anticipation had been that Kamawu would return to its monolithic setting.
Not again the family that is divided on secession lines. And the umbrella NPP party itself, led by chairman Wontumi will move mountains to ensure that Kwaku Duah does not poke their well-oiled wheel. Well the naked “money and goods sharing thievery” were well documented and that offer an inkling how the ruling class was desperate to win, for their 2024 populists propaganda. The NPP election machine moves to the Central Region, precisely Assin North; for yet another bye-election show down.
You would not consider Assin North really an NPP dominated constituency. The mood of the people swings the tide of victory and it has suited both sides of the two dominant forces. This time not through the death of a sitting MP; but due to the disqualification of a sitting MP who according to the Supreme Court, at the time of his election was ineligible to contest as an MP of the Republic of Ghana. Already the signs are clear; another well-rehearsed ‘thievery’ is in the offing. There’s the sudden tarring of roads in the Assin North constituency.
Meanwhile the other two Assin constituencies— South and Central, are wallowing in despicable roads. What irony! It’s all part of the election mastery that the NPP has adopted and as per Kumawu, it has worked magic. It’s only prudent, according to NPP adherents that the crafty stealing is replicated at Assin North. Definitely, monies will be shared, goodies will be shared meagre cups of gari and rice. They will do it openly just like they did in Kumawu. But who speaks against it. None! It’s been a regular feature in our body-politic. Unfortunately, it’s a phenomenon introduced into our electioneering campaign by the NDC and the NPP is perfecting the act. Who’s to blame.
Content created and supplied by: RKeelson (via Opera
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