MP for Akwapim South withdraws from primary
The incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwapim South in the Eastern Region, Osei Bonsu Amoah has withdrawn from Saturday's parliamentary primary.
Advertisement
The party’s internal elections is to select parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the NPP has sitting MPs for the 2024 general election.
The lawmaker, who is representing the constituency for the third time, was among four candidates including Eric Samuel Annor-Mensah, Kwame Ofori-Gyau and Eric Yeboah Apeadu in the race to be parliamentary candidate of the constituency located in the Eastern Region on the ticket of the NPP.
Letter
A letter to the party by the MP, who is also a Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, requested that he is excused from the primary with his name also erased on the ballot paper.
"I have decided to withdraw as a candidate for the election of a Parliamentary Candidate (PC) for the General Elections in 2024 in the Akuapem South Constituency.
I respectfully request that in accordance with the Public Elections Regulations, 2016, C.I. 94, my name should be deleted on the ballot paper for the election," it said.
When the Daily Graphic sought his reason for the withdrawal, the MP for Akwapim South said, “'I think that almost 16 years of service as MP is enough.”
His withdrawal after nearly 12 years in the chamber representing the Akwapim South Constituency now leaves the race for the remaining three bidding to contest the 2024 elections on the ticket of the NPP.
This seat is regarded as one of the safe seats for the party and on Saturday, January 27, 2024, the constituency will have another candidate other than Mr Amoah as its new PC.
Dynamics
Mr Amoah in 2020 retained the seat for the NPP with a sound victory having garner 21,247 votes, representing 65.4 per cent with the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) PC, Winston Kwadwo Afari-Djan securing 11,237 votes, representing 34.6 per cent of the total votes.
His victory in the last election was improvement of 12 per cent on the returns in the 2016 general elections were he obtained 14,049 votes 52 .78 per cent leaving the NDC's Lawrencia Dziwornu with 8,417 votes, representing 31.62 per cent and the Convention People's Party's (CPP) PC, Isaac Opare Addo with 4,153, representing 15.60 per cent.
Osei Bonsu Amoah first represented the constituency after winning election 2012 with 12,720 votes,representing 49.73 per cent, while beating the NDC's William Ntow Boahene who had 8,694, representing 33.99 per cent, Isaac Opare Addo, CPP and Michael Asante, PPP who had 3,713 votes, representing 14.52 per cent and 450 votes, representing 1.76 per cent respectively.
His withdrawal from the race adds up to the experience lawmakers bowing out of Parliament. Earlier, 18 incumbent experienced lawmakers have made their intentions clear not to seek re-election in the primaries.This brings the number to 19.
