By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, July 14, GNA – Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a private legal practitioner, has won the Manhyia South primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after polling 376 votes to defeat three other contestants.
He replaces Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh who was the party’s representative in the constituency until his selection as the running mate of the flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Nana Owusu Afriyie Prempeh, brother of Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, garnered 141 votes to claim the second position with James Owusu Boakye and Akwasi Coker Gyambibi polling seven and two votes, respectively.
Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, prior to the electio, had been predicted to win the contest by various polls, with the brother of the outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) expected to give him a tough contest.
It was, therefore, not surprising when the two of them swept about 98 per cent of the total votes, leaving the other two with less than 10 votes to share in between them.
Five aspirants picked forms to contest for the seat when nomination was opened, but Kwadwo Amankwah Antwi pulled out of the race, leaving the four to battle for the slot.
Dr Opoku Prempeh ran for the parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election and won the mandate to represent the people of Manhyia. Subsequently, the constituency was divided into two and he went on to win Manhyia South in 2012.
He succeeded Dr Kwame Addo Kufour, who had held the seat from 1996.
Dr Addo Kufour took over from the National Democratic Congress party’s William Kwasi Asante, who won the seat in 1992, the year the NPP boycotted the parliamentary elections over their claim that the presidential contest had been rigged after the NDC’s candidate, Jerry John Rawlings, was declared winner.
Their candidate, Professor Albert Adu Boahen came second in the widely contested election, which returned Ghana to democratic rule.
GNA