Kumawu By-Election: All you need to know about the candidates

Electorates in Kumawu Constituency of the Ashanti Region will head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new Member of Parliament, in what is expected to be a tight race between the two major political parties, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The most anticipated by-election which became necessary after the demise of the incumbent MP Hon Philip Basoah also has one vibrant independent candidate, giving the two parties a wild chase in the race.

This reporter who has keenly followed events to the elections profiled the three arch-rivals, who are squaring off for the now vacant Parliamentary seat in the by-election

First on the ballot paper is the parliamentary candidate for the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Ernest Yaw Anim. The NPP candidate pulled 195 votes to beat the other four aspirants during the party's primaries.

Mr Ernerst Yaw Anim was a Senior Accountant at Vanguard Properties Development, Ghana. He held several positions at Vanguard including Financial Controller where he managed an annual budget of over $4m on four different projects.

He also ensured compliance with all regulatory frameworks – companies code and taxation. Before joining Vanguard, he was an Account Officer at Millennium Development Authority Ghana.

He has also worked as Assistant Manager, Tax Services for Nobisfields.

Ernest was a graduate assistant at Ohio University Economics Department and holds the following qualifications: Masters of Financial Economics at Ohio University, Professional Certificate in Accounting from ACCA and B.Com from the University Of Cape Coast. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA

On the flip side of the coin comes the parliamentary candidate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Akwasi Amankwaa who is branded in political circles as Tomcee.

Mr Akwasi Amankwa was confirmed as the party’s parliamentary candidate to lead the party into 23rd May 2023 By-election after nobody challenged him during the party primaries.

Mr Akwasi Amankwa, a brother to Dr. Kwabena Duffour, a stalwart in the NDC has since vowed to win the seat for the umbrella party. Tom Cee as he is affectionately called is a graduate of Cambridge International School in Kwadaso, Prempeh College and Thames Valley University London, UK in Business Administration.

He works in Ghana as an entrepreneur, gold trader and mining management consultant. The NDC PC has also worked in the United Kingdom as the Chief Executive Officer for a Logistics Company, Oasis restaurant Retail management.

He is a native of Kumawu Bodomase where he was born and brought up by Madam Charlotte Duffuor, his mother. His father happens to be the Dwantoa hene of Kumawu in the person of Nana Baffour Badu.

Another person who is tipped to pull a major shock in the pending by-election is Mr Kwaku Duah, an independent candidate.

Mr Kwaku Duah who contested in the 2020 general elections as an independent candidate came second in with a total valid vote of 11,698, representing 39.96% of the total votes trailing behind Mr. Basoah who won the race with 14,960 valid votes, representing 51.11% of the total votes.

The 62-year-old man, a native of Kumawu Bodomase is a registered nurse, a businessman and a farmer. He is number three on the ballot paper.

Interestingly, the last on the ballot paper is another independent candidate who also bears the name, Kwaku Duah. It will interest you to note that this particular candidate who is relatively young in the race is said to be the nephew of the other independent candidate.

Relatively unknown to the electorate until the declaration of his intent to contest in the election, some critics believe the young independent candidate, who hails from Bodomase, is being sponsored by the NPP in a clever strategy to derail the prospects of the popular independent candidate who bear the same name.