Adequate police personnel have been deployed to Kumawu in the Ashanti Region ahead of the crucial by-election in the constituency on Tuesday, May 23, according to the Ghana Police Service.
In a statement, the Service mentioned that it has already met with stakeholders, including the leadership of the New Patriotic Party, the National Democratic Congress, and one of the independent candidates, to enhance collaboration among all stakeholders and ensure a peaceful election.
However, the other independent candidate was unable to honour the invitation to the meeting.
“We wish to assure the people of the Kumawu Constituency to go about their normal activities freely including going out to exercise their civic duty of casting their vote. We would like to urge the general public, especially the people of the Kumawu constituency to work with us to deliver a peaceful election and ensure the safety and security of all,” ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, Ghana Police Service added in the statement.
The Kumawu seat is vacant following the demise of the sitting Member of Parliament, Philip Basoah. He was buried over the weekend.
A by-election being organised by the Electoral Commission in the constituency to get Mr. Basoah’s replacement comes off on Tuesday with both the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party earnestly seeking to annex the seat.
Although the Kumawu seat has been a safe one for the governing NPP, the NDC is living no stone unturned in trying to get its candidate to emerge victorious.
There are four candidates in the race. They are Ernest Yaw Anim of NPP, NDC’s Kwasi Amankwaa, and two independent candidates both known as Kwaku Duah.
