EC opens nominations for Akwatia by-election

Elections management body, the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has officially opened nominations for candidates interested in contesting the upcoming by-election in the Akwatia Constituency.

This follows the untimely death of the sitting New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament, Ernest Yaw Kumi, creating a constitutional vacancy in Ghana’s legislative body.

The EC, in a statement dated 30th July 2025 and signed by Chairperson Jean Mensa, announced that the by-election will be held on Tuesday, 2nd September 2025, in line with Article 112(5) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates that a by-election be conducted within 60 days of a parliamentary vacancy.

According to the statement, nominations from prospective parliamentary candidates will be received between 11th and 13th August 2025, at the Denkyembour District Office of the Commission.

Submission hours will run from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm each day.

The EC has made nomination forms available for download on its official website (www.ec.gov.gh) starting from 30th July to 13th August 2025.

Candidates are required to personally submit their forms, or do so through their proposer or seconder, at the designated EC office.

To be eligible, each candidate must have their nomination form endorsed by two registered voters serving as Proposer and Seconder, and supported by 18 additional registered voters from the Akwatia Constituency, signaling broad-based local endorsement.

The forms must also carry the candidate’s signed consent.

Additionally, candidates are to submit two recent passport-sized photographs with a red background, clearly showing their full face and ears.

A filing fee of GHS 10,000 has been set for male candidates, while female candidates and persons with disabilities (PWDs) will pay a discounted fee of GHS 7,500.

The EC emphasized that completed forms must be submitted in quadruplicate, and called on the general public to take note of the guidelines and timelines.

This by-election will serve as a litmus test for political parties ahead of the 2028 general elections, especially in the Eastern Region, where Akwatia has historically swung between the two major parties—the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The late MP, Ernest Kumi of the NPP, won the Akwatia seat in the 2024 general elections.

His sudden death earlier this month shocked the political landscape and triggered a renewed contest for the seat.