5 NPP MPs Face Tight Race In Eastern Region

Kennedy Osei Nyarko

Five incumbent Members of Parliament of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akyemansa block of the Eastern Region, who are seeking re-election are facing tight competition from their opponents in the upcoming Parliamentary Primaries.
Aspirants have been gripped by fear of losing their seats.

These MPs are the MP for Akyem Swedru – Kennedy Osei Nyarko, New Abirem- John Osei Frimpong, Ofoase-Ayirebi – Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who is also the Minister of Information, Akyem Achiase – Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo, and the MP for Asene-Manso-Akroso – George Kwame Aboagye aka Oluwa.

In the Akyem Swedru for instance, the incumbent, Kennedy Osei Nyarko is facing a tight race from the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, and a Tema-based private businessman, Jerome Kwame Okyere Akordor who have been cleared by the Vetting Committee to contest him.

Currently, there is Political tension in the constituency as the incumbent MP is trying his best to retain his position to lead the party toward the general elections because the Controller and Accountant General is running a strong insurgent campaign to unseat Osei Nyarko as his candidacy is gaining momentum and poses a fatal threat to Osei Nyarko’s re-election bid.
The incumbent MP, Kennedy Osei Nyarko has held the seat since 2012, consistently winning his last two elections by around 70% of the vote.

In the New Abirim Constituency, three candidates including Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Asuoko Owiredu, Frank Mireku, an Accra-based businessman and a former Abirem Constituency Secretary of the NPP, and Daniel Kwadwo Afrifah, a Kumasi based businessman, are contesting with the incumbent, John Osei Frimpong.

The three aspirants are giving the incumbent MP the run of his money as Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Asuoko Owiredu, is gaining ground daily.

Mr Osei Frimpong last week told the media that the physical development projects he had provided for the constituency including the tarring of the New Abirem-Nkawkaw and New Abirem-Akyem Ofoase main roads, as well as the tarring of some of the towns streets, would help him to retain his parliamentary seat.

In the Ofoase–Ayirebi constituency, two candidates namely; Eric Owusu-Mensah, the immediate past Deputy Clerk of Parliament, and Maxwell Osei Gyamerah, a staff of the Ghana Revenue Authority in Accra are vying with the incumbent MP, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Eric Owusu-Mensah, the immediate Deputy Clerk of Parliament, recently had his billboards demolished in Akyem Anyinase by unidentified individuals who were believed to be NPP members and he expressed dissatisfaction about the incident.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah last week also urged the delegates to retain him as their legislator to continue the good work he had done for the constituency and to contribute his quota towards the breaking of the eight-year electoral jinx.

He promised that he and his supporters would abide by the NPP’s rules and regulations on elections to ensure peaceful and successful polls.

Mr Owusu-Mensah also gave the assurance that he and his campaign team would conduct a peaceful campaign devoid of insults and character assassination and urged the other contestants to do the same.

In the Akyem Achiase constituency, four candidates; George Niako aka Bulk Money, a Tema-based engineer, Samuel Okyere Donkor, and Emmanuel Kwabena Brako including a female, Madam Benedicta Adom Biamah, have been cleared to constituency the incumbent MP, Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo.
Information indicates that the constituency executives are at loggerheads with the legislator, Mr Marfo as he was denied a nomination form last year December when the nomination was opened and had to travel to Koforidua to pick his form at the Eastern Regional Secretariat of the NPP.
There was also drama at Akyem Akroso, the capital of the Asene-Manso-Akroso constituency as the executives refused to give Alex Owusu Agyei, who is challenging the incumbent MP, George Kwame Aboagye a nomination form.

When Mr Owusu Agyei and his entourage reached the constituency office around 9.30am on December 20, 2023, to buy the nomination form, there wasn’t any member of the five election committee present.

A lady who is an office clerk told them that only three nomination forms were given to her and they had all been collected by aspiring parliamentary candidates.

The situation compelled Mr Owusu Agyei to collect his nomination form at Koforidua.

The incumbent MP, George Kwame Aboagye, who has also been going unopposed is now being contested as the competition is becoming tough for him.

In the Oda constituency, the incumbent legislator, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, and his contender Dennis Obeng Agyei picked the forms and filed them, but Dennis Obeng Agyei was asked by the Vetting Committee to go back to the constituency to face the Disciplinary Committee over an allegations that he insulted the incumbent MP.

Others Constituencies

In the Kade Constituency, the incumbent, Alexander Agyare, is facing off a tough competition against Eric Ntiri-Mensah, Asare Gifty Obeyaa, Patrick Darkwa Asomaning, and Kofi Ntow Kwaning for the parliamentary seat.

In Suhum, the incumbent, Oboafo Kwadwo Asante is been challenged by the Director of Political Affairs at the Office of the Chief of Staff, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, aka Protozoa.
He is giving the MP a run for his money.

Fanteakwa North also features four candidates competing against the incumbent, Kwabena Amankwa Assiamah. Kwame Appiah Kodua, Rev Dr David Twum Antwi, Gabriel Kese-Yeboah, and Barbara Makara-Maccugen all hope to represent the constituency.

Atiwa West sees Ntiamoah Kingsley Ofosu, Managing Director of Museums and Monuments Board, Laurette Korkor Asante, a former deputy Director General of SSNIT and sister of Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President at the Jubilee House, Samuel Awuah Danquah, a businessman who allegedly enjoys the support of the outgoing MP and Prince Benjamin Aboagye, Deputy Chief Executive of Petroleum Commission who are challenging each other for the Parliamentary seat which the incumbent MP, Kwasi Amoako Atta is stepping down after his current tenure ends.

In the New Juaben North for instance, the Eastern Regional Minister, a former MP for Mprease Seth Kwame Acheampong, is being challenged by Nana Osei Adjei, Joseph Osei Djaba, Philip Twum Yeboah, and Sampson Kwesi Annor to represent the area that the incumbent, Nana Adjei Boateng is not contesting again.

In Nkawkaw, the incumbent Joseph Frimpong is also facing serious competition from the Managing Director of Ghana Publishing Company, David Boateng Asante, and the former Constituency Chairman, Andrews Ameyaw.

Okere is another constituency with a competitive field, as five candidates, Emmanuel Kwaku Adjei-Lartey, Charles Budu Okraku, Godfred Atua Addo, Kofi Bekoe, and the District Chief Executive, Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth, are vying for the parliamentary seat which the incumbent, Dan Kwaku Botwe is not contesting again.

-BY Daniel Bampoe

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