By Nicholas Osei-Wusu, EJISU
Former Constituency 2nd Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Boateng, has won the Ejisu Constituency By-election.
He won with a total vote of 27,782, translating into 55.79 percent of the total valid votes cast.
When sworn in, Mr. Boateng, who resigned his position to enter the contest, will replace the MP for the Constituency, Dr. John Kumah, who died before his tenure could end.
With a total voter population of 106,812 and 204 voting centres, Ejisu Constituency is one of the biggest among the 47 constituencies in the Ashanti region.
Starting at the scheduled 7 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, the election went on throughout the constituency without any known setback and was considered one of the most peaceful and successful of its kind in the region.
By 9 p.m., almost all the Presiding Officers had reported at the St. Anthony Catholic Church premises for the collation, which eventually ended at 12 midnight in the presence of Agents for only the two leading contenders in the election, namely Kwabena Boateng of the NPP and Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, an Independent Candidate.
However, six persons contested the polls.
They were Esther Osei of the CPP, Kwabena Boateng of the NPP, and Beatrice Boakye of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG). The three others who all contested as Independent Candidates were Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, Fredua Agyemang, and Joseph Attobra.
At the end of the collation, a total of 50,210 of the eligible voters exercised their franchise, with 417 of the votes rejected. The valid votes were 49,801, constituting a turnout of 47.1 percent.
The Returning Officer for the election, Mark Adu Poku, then declared the final results and the winner.
“Esther Osei had 89 votes, translating into 0.18%; Kwabena Boateng got 27,772 votes, meaning 55.79%, Beatrice Boakye got 149, or 0.30%; Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, 21, 536 constituting 43.35%; Fredua Agyemang got 222, or 0.45%; while Joseph Attobra got 22 of the valid votes, or 0.05%,” the Returning Officer announced.
In his victory speech, the private legal practitioner, Kwabena Boateng, expressed gratitude and appreciation to all the individuals and groups, including the President, his Vice and the Chief of Staff for their immense support.
He emphasised the need for the party in the Ejisu Constituency to reconcile and unite after the polls in order to be ready for the main Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7 this year.
The Ejisu Constituency By-election was occasioned by the death of the then MP, Dr. John Kumah, on March 7, 2024, thereby causing the Ejisu seat in Parliament vacant. Kwabena Boateng will be sworn in as MP in Parliament later this month when the House returns from recess.
