The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a former NPP member running as an independent candidate are challenging the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 23rd May 2023 Kumawu by-election in the Ashanti region.
The Party on Sunday 23rd April 2023 elected Ernest Yaw Anim a native of Kumawu Bodomase as their parliamentary candidate to face the NDC’s prepared candidate, Kwasi Amankwa, grandson of the late Sekyere Kumawu Member of Parliament (MP) Philip Atta Basoa and Kwaku Duah an Independent Candidate, a Nephew to the Paramount Chief of the Kumawu, Barimah Tweneboah Koduah.
Addressing NPP members after a successful primary at Kumawu Besore, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as ‘Chairman Wontumi’ chairman of the party for Ashanti, assured the party leadership and members of resounding victory ahead of the by-election.
He pledged to lead a close-fitting campaign in the constituency which will leave no breathing space for the NDC’s candidate and the independent candidate being sponsored by the major opposition Party the NDC going into the by-election.
“As the regional Chairman leading the party into this by-election, I can confirm that as of now, the NDC candidate and the former NPP member who has rebelled against us to contest as an independent candidate sponsored by the NDC behind the scene is now powerless and weak. This is because our candidate Ernest Yaw Anim is a native of Bosodomase where the bought NDC’s independent candidate is coming from. So therefore, the independent candidate is no more a threat to us, he is powerless to challenge us. So he is in this contest to pay school fees but not to make a meaningful impact against us’’ he alleged with assurance to the party.
He further questioned that, “If it’s not the NDC behind his campaign, why must he adopt the colour green, a known colour of the NDC on his campaign poster, question one. Question two, after this by-election; we will go into election 2024, where was he going to get money to contest this election? So, for now, Kwaku Duah is known as “ Kwaku Duah Ampontuah (rebel Kwaku Duah) he was an NPP member but now he is Judas Iscariot who now has the NDC behind. So the game is clear. Therefore, we are going to mobilize and unite all the aspirants who lost to face him in the election activities and so we are going to win the by-election and it has started’’ reiterated.