Former President John Dramani Mahama, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has extended his congratulations to Mr Ernest Yaw Anim, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Kumawu from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a statement released on Friday, the former President also commended the people of Kumawu for the peaceful conduct of the parliamentary by-election on Tuesday, May 23.
“I cannot forget the warmth of the people and the enthusiasm demonstrated when I led a delegation of the NDC to campaign for our candidate, Kwasi Amankwah. I am very grateful,” Mr Mahama expressed.
He highlighted the increased number of votes the NDC's candidate received in the election, which amounted to 1,284 actual votes. This represented a 52.6% increase compared to the party's performance in 2020. Mr Mahama considered this outcome significant, especially in a constituency that has historically been an NPP stronghold, stating, “The election result was a great sign from the good people of Kumawu.”
While the NDC did not succeed in winning the seat, Mr Mahama expressed pride in the collective effort of the party in testing their revised electoral operational procedures, including monitoring, party agent selection and training, collation, and transmission of results. He also congratulated the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and his personnel for ensuring peaceful conduct of the polls, emphasizing their commitment to the state rather than any political party.
Addressing the Electoral Commission, Mr Mahama stressed the importance of recruiting and appointing credible individuals for presiding and other officer positions, as well as collaborating effectively with political party agents and representatives to ensure a credible election. He acknowledged that some infractions occurred during the election and urged the NDC's monitoring teams to engage further to ensure corrective measures are taken to prevent similar incidents in future elections.
The former President expressed his appreciation to the NDC's team at various levels, including branches, constituencies, regions, and the national level, as well as the selfless members of the party who supported the process in Kumawu to ensure a smooth electoral process.
