Possible candidates for NPP primary in Akwatia Constituency

Five members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akwatia Constituency of the Eastern Region have declared their intentions to contest in the upcoming primary ahead of the by-election.

The aspirants include the Constituency Chairman, Yaw Addo; 2nd Vice Chairman, Kwasi Boateng; Mr. Kofi Nyame; Lawyer Yaw Wiredu; and former Member of Parliament, Ama Sey.

Although the date for the primary is yet to be announced by the regional executives, reports indicate that these party members have openly declared their interest in the contest.

The by-election follows the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Ernest Yaw Kumi, who passed away on Monday, July 7, 2025.

One of the aspirants, Kofi Nyame, speaking to Onua News’ Nsem Titire, said they are awaiting official directives from the regional executives before the process begins.

When asked whether the late MP’s widow, Mavis Kumi, would also be contesting, given that her posters have surfaced on social media, Mr. Nyame clarified that she is not interested in running in the primary.

Ernest Yaw Kumi, aged 40, was a rising figure in the NPP. He won the Akwatia seat in the 2024 general elections with 19,269 votes, defeating the NDC’s Henry Yiadom Boakye, who secured 17,206 votes.

He had earlier won the NPP parliamentary primary in 2023, unseating then-incumbent Ama Sey.

Kumi’s political career, however, was marked by controversy. In February 2025, the Koforidua High Court convicted him for contempt after he defied an injunction barring him from being sworn into Parliament. A bench warrant was later issued for his arrest after he failed to appear for sentencing.

The Supreme Court eventually overturned the conviction in June 2025 in a 4–1 majority ruling, citing judicial bias in the earlier decision. The ruling cleared the path for him to resume his parliamentary duties before his untimely death.