Controller and Accountant General fails bid to unseat Akyem Swedru NPP MP
The Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliamentary for Akyem Swedru in Saturday's primary.
The incumbent MP, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, emerged victorious with 194 votes as against Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem's 94 votes and Okyere Jerome Kwame's 10 votes.
The parliamentary race gained public attention when the Controller and Accountant General expressed interest in the contest.
Akyemansa block
From Akyem Akokoaso, Samuel Kyei-Boateng reports that four out of the six incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Akyemansa block of the Eastern Region were elected as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates in Saturday's parliamentary primaries.
One of the contestants was declared unopposed while another one lost his bid to become the legislator in 2025.
The victorious legislators are Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, who is also the Minister of Information; Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo, the MP for Akyem Achiase; Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the MP for Akyem Swedru and George Kwame Aboagye, the MP for Asene-Akroso-Manso.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah secured 378 votes to defeat his two challengers, namely Eric Owusu-Mensah, the immediate past Deputy Clerk of Ghana's Parliament, who polled 92 votes and Michael Osei Gyamenah of the Ghana Revenue Authority in Accra who had 100 votes.
Ahenkorah Marfo had 220 votes to defeat his three challengers, namely George Niako, Emmanuel Kwabena jBrako, Samuel Okyere Donkor and Benedicta Biamah Adom, who secured 142, 19, 7 and 1 votes, respectively.
Osei Nyarko polled 194 votes to beat his two challengers, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, the Controller and Accountant General, who secured 94 votes and Jerome Okyere Akordor, an Accra based private businessman who had 10 votes.
George Aboagye made light work of his sole challenger, Alex Owusu-Adjei by beating him by 362 votes to 151.
The MP for Akyem Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah was declared unopposed after his challenger, Dennis Obeng Agyei was disqualified by the National Appeals Committee of the NPP.
The MP for Abirem, John Osei Frimpong was the only unlucky legislator from the Akyemansa block to lose the parliamentary primary.
Ghana's Ambassador to South Africa, Charles Asuoko Owiredu secured 192 votes in the parliamentary primary to beat the incumbent MP, Osei Frimpong and two others, namely Frank Ahimah-Mireku and Daniel Kwadwo Afrifah, who garnered 116, 148 and 56 votes, respectively.
Speaking after his victory, Mr Oppong Nkrumah was grateful to the Almighty Lord, the constituency executives and the delegates for the honour done him and promised to prove equal to the task.
He appealed to the losing parliamentary candidates and their supporters to rally behind him to make the breaking of the eight year electoral jinx a reality.
After the Birim Central Municipal Electoral Director, Mr Kofi Annang had acclaimed Mr Akwasi Acquah, he expressed gratitude to all those who contributed immensely towards his declaration of him unopposed.
He promised to work harder than before, especially the development of Oda town roads.
The Eastern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jeff Konadu Addo, the Regional Organiser, Mr Jerry Osei Poku and the Regional Treasurer,
Mr Kumi Larbi, took turns to commend Mr Acquah for obtaining 79.9 per cent presidential votes in the 2020 general elections, being the highest in the region for that year.
They however, advised him to work harder to secure 90 per cent presidential votes for the party in the crucial 2024 general elections to help the party to realise its objective of breaking the eight year electoral jinx.