Thousands of mourners from all walks of life, Saturday, thronged Kumawu in the Ashanti Region to pay their last respect to the Member of Parliament (MP), Philip Atta Basoah, who died after a short illness in March, this year.

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was among the key government officials and MPs who were at the funeral.

Also in attendance were some New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopefuls; Allan Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.

All parliamentary candidates representing various political parties in the Kumawu by-election also paid their last respect to the man they are seeking to succeed.

Kumawu has been the centre of attraction for the past one week with visitors, especially political figures, storming the town ahead of the by-election scheduled for Tuesday, May 23.

Personalities such as former President John Dramani Mahama, Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman, and Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, General Secretary of the NDC, all been visited constituency this week.

The NPP is poised to retain the Kumawu seat, which it won in 2020 with a little over 3,000 votes, knowing that the independent candidate, Kwaku Duah, who gave the late MP a run for his money, is still in the race.

Its Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi- Bosiako, has been living in Kumawu since the demise of the MP to make sure no stone is left unturned in maintaining the seat for the ruling party.