Two hundred and seventy-six (276) seats in Ghana’s Parliament will be up for grabs during the December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections.

The Guan Constituency in the Oti Region will be the new constituency with representation in the upcoming 9th Parliament and the 275 of the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.

The worst nightmare for any of the political parties that will form the next government of Ghana come January 7, 2024, would be to have a hung parliament like the 8th Parliament, which had 137 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and 137 MPs from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and one independent MP, which has made it extremely difficult for the conduct of government business compared to previous parliaments.

As such, the two leading political parties in the country, the NPP and the NDC, will do all they can to keep the current number of seats in the House and even snatch as many as possible from each other, whether they form the next government or not, in order to have some power in the governance process.

This article looks at some parliamentary races in two regions - Central and Western regions - that are expected to be keenly contested.

Central Region:

The Central Region, which has gained the status of a swing region because it is not the stronghold of either of the two leading political parties in the country, is expected to see some tight races.

The region, which currently has 23 seats, has 13 NDC Members of Parliament and 10 NPP Members of Parliament.

Here are some of the key races expected:

1. Morrison vs. Christopher vs. Ofori


Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Arthur Christopher and Dangbey Ernestina Ofori

A very keenly contested race is expected in the Agona West Constituency, which has had the NDC and NPP MPs.

Since the inception of the 4th Republic, the constituency has had 3 terms of NDC MPs and 5 terms of NPP MPs.

This is expected to be keenly contested because the incumbent MP, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, who won the seat on two occasions on the ticket of the NPP, will be seeking her re-election bid as an independent candidate.

She is expected to face stiff competition from Arthur Christopher, the candidate of the NPP, and Dangbey Ernestina Ofori, the candidate of the NDC.

2. Eyiah vs. A Plus vs. Naeem-Deen


Yawson Muhammed Naeem-Deen, Eyiah Naana and A Plus

Another keen competition is expected in the Gomoa Central constituency.

The incumbent MP and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Eyiah Naana of the NPP, is expected to face stern competition from musician Obeng Kwame Asare, widely known as A Plus, and Yawson Muhammed Naeem-Deen, the parliamentary candidate of the NDC.

A Plus, a staunch member of the NPP, filed to contest in the Gomoa Central parliamentary race as an independent candidate.

Gomoa Central has had both NDC and NPP MPs since its creation. Eyiah Naana, who has represented the constituency since 2016, is seeking her 3rd term.

3. Afenyo-Markin vs. Annan vs. Buabeng:


Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin and James Kofi Annan

Another interesting race to look out for in the Central Region is that of the Effutu Constituency.

The incumbent MP and Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, is expected to face stiff competition from NDC’s James Kofi Annan and Louisa Buabeng, an independent candidate.

The NDC and the NPP have previously won the Effutu Constituency seat.

One interesting bit about the Effutu contest is the legal tussle the independent candidate in the race is facing, which is reportedly being masterminded by Afenyo-Markin, who is seeking his third term as the MP for the constituency.

Louisa Buabeng is facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime after some voter ID cards were allegedly found at her aide’s residence.

4. Gizella vs. Eugenia Arhin:


Eugene Arhin and Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui

The parliamentary race for the Awutu Senya West constituency is also expected to be hot.

The constituency, created in 2012, has had two NDC MPs and one NPP MP.

The incumbent MP, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, the NDC parliamentary candidate, is expected to face stiff competition from NPP’s Eugene Arhin in the two-horse race for the constituency’s seat in parliament.

Eugene Arhin is the director of communications at the Office of the President.

Koomson vs. Koryoo:


Mavis Hawa Koomson and Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor

The battle between incumbent NPP MP for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, and Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor of the NDC for the constituency’s seat will also be interesting.

Hawa Koomson, who doubles as the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, is seeking her fourth term in office.

She has been the only representative of the constituency since its creation in 2012.

In the 2020 election, Hawa Koomson beat Naa Koryoo Okunor by less than 6,000 votes. She got 57,114 votes, representing 52.6% of the total votes, while Naa Koryoo Okunor had 51,561 votes, representing 47.5% of the total votes cast.

Western Region:

The Western Region, which currently has 9 parliamentary seats occupied by the NPP and 8 by the NDC, is also expected to see some tough races, including:

1. Joana Gyan vs. Wiredu Arkoh:


Joana Gyan Cudjoe and Dr. Albert Wiredu Arkoh

The race for the Amenfi Central constituency is expected to draw a lot of attention.

Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the candidate of the NDC whose candidature was recently confirmed by the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) after months of legal battles, is expected to face off with NPP’s Dr. Albert Wiredu Arkoh.

The incumbent NDC MP for the area, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, dropped out of the race after initially filing to contest as an independent candidate in the constituency’s parliamentary election.

The convoy of Joana Gyan was recently attacked by armed men.

Bissue vs. Ayensu-Danquah:


Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue and Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah

Another interesting race to look out for in the region is the battle between Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah of the NDC and NPP’s Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue for the Essikado-Ketan seat.

Prof. Dr. Ayensu-Danquah lost the seat in 2020 to the incumbent NPP MP, Joe Ghartey, who is leaving parliament, having represented the Essikado-Ketan Constituency since 2005. She lost the seat by a little over 2,000 votes to Joe Ghartey.

Her only contender, Charles Bissue, is the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

BAI/EK

Watch the latest video on TrendingGH below:



You can watch today’s compilation of the Twi news below: