The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira constituency of the Western Region, Kofi Arko Nokoe, has retained his parliamentary seat despite the serious challenge from his main contender.

Ghanaian eligible voters went to the polls early this month to elect their Members of Parliament (MPs) and president on Saturday, December 7, 2024.

At the end of the polls in the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira constituency, Kofi Arko Nokoe, the incumbent MP on the ticket of the NDC, polled 16,419 votes representing 53.46 percent to beat NPP's parliamentary candidate, Catherine Afeku, the main contender who had 14,050 votes representing 45.75 percent, and Elisha Joshua Kabenla, who managed to get 240 votes representing 0.79 percent.

The total valid votes cast were 30,709, and the rejected ballot papers were 429.

History Made

Since 2008, no sitting MP for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira has retained the seat until these December 2024 polls when Kofi Arko Nokoe broke the jinx of the 4-year one-term cycle.

Catherine Afeku of NPP won the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira parliamentary seat in 2008 and lost it to Tanikyi Kessie of NDC in 2012.

Catherine Afeku contested again in 2016 and recaptured the seat from the NDC.

The NDC then brought into the picture the dynamic young man Kofi Arko Nokoe in 2020, and he recaptured the seat from Catherine Afeku, who was a tourism minister then.

In 2024, Catherine Afeku contested again on the ticket of NPP but failed to recapture the seat from Kofi Arko Nokoe.

This is the first time since 2004 that an incumbent MP for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira has retained the seat.

A lot of people in the constituency have commended Kofi Arko Nokoe for defeating Catherine Afeku on two consecutive occasions.

Speaking to Kofi Arko Nokoe at Axim, he thanked the Almighty God for helping him to retain his parliamentary seat.

He also commended voters in his constituency for reposing confidence in him and subsequently retaining him to serve with another 4-year mandate.

He pledged to begin his "Thank You Tour" this week.

"I'm very happy that the good people of Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira have reposed confidence in me. I thank God for this opportunity. I also thank them for voting massively for former president John Dramani Mahama. I'm beginning my Thank You Tour this week to thank the good people of Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira constituency for retaining me," he stated.

Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira constituency has been one of the swing constituencies in the Western Region since the introduction of the Fourth Republic.

Meanwhile, see what's left of the burnt Kwashieman school where disputed ballot boxes were housed: