Ghana: Ruling NDC retains seat in by-election

Forty-one-year-old Economist Eric Afful of the National Democratic Congress has been elected as the Member of Parliament for the Amenfi West constituency in the Western region.

Afful polled 15,809 (52.64%) votes to retain the seat for the NDC while his main contender Mr. Paul Derkyi, 43, a lawyer representing the opposition New Patriotic Party had 13,079 (43.54%) of the total valid votes cast in Tuesday’s by election.

The Progressive People's Party (PPP) managed 1,032 votes (3.44%) while the UFP came fourth, having polled 113 votes (0.38%).

According to Starr FM's Ibrahim Alhassan, voter turnout was 49% of the total 62,364 registered voters in the constituency.

The by-election follows the demise of the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr John Gyetuah.

The Amenfi West Constituency is one of the oldest constituencies, since its creation, the constituency after the country returned to constitutional rule in 1992, has always voted for NDC until 2003 when the then NDC member, Mr Kofi Asante resigned as MP.

The by-election led to Agnes Samfo winning the seat for the NPP for the first time. The seat returned to the NDC in the general election in 2004 until the demise of Gyetuah.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM