The Electoral Commission (EC) has cleared six aspirants to contest in the upcoming by-election in the Ejisu constituency of the Ashanti region scheduled for Tuesday, April 30.
The nominations closed on Thursday, April 18, with some candidates racing against time to submit their forms at the EC’s Ejisu district office.
Leading the pack is Lawyer Kwabena Boateng, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, who secured the number two spot.
Former MP Ing. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, who is running as an independent candidate, will be number four on the ballot, while Beatrice Boakye representing the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) will appear third.
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has Esther Osei as their candidate, listed in the number one spot.
The remaining two positions on the ballot are held by Gabriel Agyemang Joseph and Joseph Attakora, both running as independent candidates and designated as numbers five and six, respectively.
The nomination process was not without controversy, as confusion arose when executives of the CPP attempted to block their own parliamentary candidate, Esther Osei, from filing her nomination application.
Regional Chairman, Emmanuel Gallo allegedly directed the EC not to accept the documents, leaving Osei’s campaign team in a state of uncertainty.
This unfortunate incident is a result of an ongoing legal dispute within the CPP, following the resignation of several top officials.
Deputy National Organiser Eric Osei Boateng criticized the Regional Chairman’s actions and clarified that the internal issues have been resolved by the High Court.
After reaching out to the EC regional office and headquarters, the nomination forms have now been received.
The by-election follows the demise of sitting MP, John Kumah who doubled as the deputy finance minister on 7th March 2024.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not participate in the election.
Ahead of the election, the NPP has deployed contractors to the constituency to begin road construction to convince the electorates for their votes.