The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has urged the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to step aside from the upcoming Akwatia parliamentary by-election as a mark of respect for the late Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah.
The by-election, set for September 2, 2025, follows the July 7 death of Akwatia MP Ernest Yaw Kumi after a short illness.
Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, told reporters on Monday, August 11, that the NDC’s withdrawal would mirror the NPP’s own decision not to contest the Tamale Central by-election after the death of its MP, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, one of eight victims of the August 6 military helicopter crash.
“We are mourning with them,” he said. “You have a stalwart like Honourable Omane Boamah from the Eastern Region. Going straight into a fierce contest right after the state burial will not serve his memory right.”
He added that the recent spate of political violence, including clashes in Ablekuma, combined with the national grief over the crash, should prompt both major parties to prioritise unity over competition.
“I believe that after laying such stalwarts to rest, plunging into a fierce contest would not serve their memory well. With the current mood of the nation, lowering the political temperature is the right thing to do,” Nana B said, stressing that his appeal was a personal sentiment and “not an imposition.”
The Electoral Commission has confirmed that the Akwatia by-election will go ahead unless one or more parties formally withdraw from the race.
