The by-election in Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region to elect a new Member of Parliament (MP) is slated for April 30 this year.
Also, the limited voter registration exercise will commence on May 7 to 27 at all the 268 district offices of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The EC announced the dates for the two exercises during an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Accra yesterday.
The by-election follows the death of Mr John Kumah, who was the MP.
Mr Kumah, who was also a Deputy Minister of Finance, passed away on March 7, 2024, at the age of 45, due to an illness.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times, Evans Nimako, the Director of Elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said nine candidates have been approved by the Vetting Committee of the party to contest in a primary to elect a candidate on April 13.
The contestants are Kwabena Boateng, Dr Evans Duah, Klinsman Karikari Mensah, Helena Mensah, Jacqueline Abena Pokua Amoah-Boaitey, Portia Baffoe Abronye, Kwesi Nyantakyi, Aaron Prince Duah and Yaa Akyawmaa Aboagye.
“The Committee has recommended that all of them be allowed to participate in this contest.
Also, we’ve conducted the ballot. We’ve informed them that the National Executives of the party will meet them,” Mr Nimako stated.
The NPP further advocated the need for the EC to expand the limited registration exercise to training college and senior high school institutions, as well as other notable points of convergence to enable the persons in remote areas have access to the registration centres.
He noted that although concerned about the missing laptop components of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits, the NPP was awaiting police investigations which would unravel the details surrounding the theft.
Mr Nimako said the party further urged the EC to enhance its security to prevent cases of thefts that gave room for suspicions.
He reaffirmed the party’s readiness to work with the EC and other stakeholders to address all challenges that could impede the limited voter registration exercise.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, who represented the National Democratic Congress (NDC), criticised the EC for failing to disclose that about five Biometric Voter Devices (BVDs) had been vandalised at Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western Region.
He said such revelations gave credence to suspicions that the EC was keeping information regarding the missing BVRs from political parties.
He noted that the party was demanding specific responses about the missing BVRs, which would inform the NDC’s next line of action.
“Is it not concerning that as an institution with CCTV cameras the EC is unable to provide proper information about the missing components of the BVRs? We will forward all our questions to the EC for answers because today they claim they didn’t come with their technical people,” Dr Omane Boamah stated.
He said the Functional Executive Committee of the party would determine whether the party would contest for the Ejisu Constituency Parliamentary seat.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
