Ahanta West by-election will be ‘mid-term referendum’ for NPP – Bright Simmons

A by-election is looming in the Ahanta West Constituency of the Western Region following the death of Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and Member of Parliament for the area, Ebenezer Kojo Kum.

A GhanaWeb source confirmed that the MP who had been sick for a while now and was receiving treatment died in the morning of March 8, 2022. The cause of death is said to be a stroke.

News of his demise started circulating on social media platforms on Tuesday evening even though our checks show that the leadership of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, to which he belongs; was waiting for his family and the Ministry to break the news.

Commenting on the development, Bright Simons of mPedigree and honourary Vice President of policy think-tank Imani Africa, tweeted: “From trusted sources: a parliamentary by-election is imminent in Ghana as a result of an unfortunate tragedy on the majority benches.

“Analysts see this as a possible mid-term referendum on the Govt’s performance as the seat in question is not too safe for the ruling party.”

Implication on number in Parliament

The development in terms of impact on Parliamentary business means there are 137 MPs on the Majority and Minority sides of the House.

His seat must officially be declared vacant by the Speaker to allow for a by-election to be held to choose a new lawmaker for the Constituency.

The late Kojo Kum was one of four MPs whose unilateral absence from the House was reported to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in a petition by former MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak.

Mubarak’s petition was requesting that the seats of Kojo Kum and three other NPP MPs – Sarah Adwoa Safo (Dome-Kwabenya), Henry Quartey (Ayawaso Central) and Kenned Agyapong (Assin Central) – be declared vacant because of absenteeism that passed the legal 15 continuous sitting threshold.

The late lawmaker was in his second term having entered the lawmaking chamber after the 2016 election. A native of Dixcove, he was born in April 1967 and was called to the bar in 2000.