Ten ministers and deputy minsters lost their bids to return to parliament on the ticket of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) as last Saturday’s parliamentary primaries.
In a total of 28 incumbent MPs lost their bid.
Three ministers
Key among them are the Minister of Public Enterprises and Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia in the Western Region, Joseph Cudjoe; Minister of Santation and Water Resources and MP for Tano North in the Ahafo Region, Freda Prempeh and the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and MP for Walewale in the North East Region, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu.
Mr Cudjoe lost his fourth term bid to an officer of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Secretary to the GRA Board, Isaac Yaw Nyarko Boamah, who is also a lawyer.
Freda Prempeh lost to Dr Gideon Boako, spokesperson for the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, while Hajia Zuweira Abudu lost to Dr Kabiru Mahama, also the Technical Adviser to the Vice-President.
7 deputy ministers
The seven Deputy Ministers who lost their re-election bid are the two Deputy Ministers of Health, Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, MP for Weija-Gbawe in the Greater Accra Region, and Mahama Asei Seini, MP for Daboya/Mankarigu in the Savannah Region.
The others are a Deputy Minister of Education and MP for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, Gifty Twum-Ampofo; Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation and MP for Juaben in Ashanti, Ama Pomaa Boateng; a Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and MP for Offinso North in the Ashanti Region, Collins Ntim; Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and MP for Lower Hemang Denkyira in the Central Region, Bright Wireko-Brobbey, and Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Acquaculture Development and MP for Trobu, Moses Anim.
Tina Mensah was defeated by Jerry Ahmed Shaibu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Coastal Development Authority; Mr Seini lost to a former Deputy Minister of Savannah Region, Samuel Tika; Mr Wireko-Brobbey was defeated by the CEO of Export and Import Bank, Ghana, Lawrence Agyinsam, while Ms Boateng and Mr Ntim lost their re-election bids to Frank Owusu Achiaw and Fred Kyei Asamoah respectively.
These Ministers and Deputies are among the 28 sitting MPs who lost their reelection bids.
In Dome-Kwabenya, the CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Michael Oquaye Jr, was third time lucky as he defeated Sarah Adwoa Safo, while the MP for Subin in the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi, a key member of the NPP MPs that pushed for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, lost to Kofi Obiri Yeboah.
Others who were unsuccessful in their re-election bids are Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua), Sheila Bartels (Ablekuma North), Dr Adomako Kissi (Anyaa Sowutuom), Kwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensah (Amasaman), John Benam ( Zabzugu). The rest are Yves Hanson Nortey (Tema Central), Elvis Morris Donkor (Abura Asebu Kwamankese), Samuel Erickson Abakah (Shama), Kwadwo Asante (Suhum), Emmanuel Kwasi Gyamfi (Odotobri), Emmanuel Adjei Anhwere (Atwima-Nwabiagya South), Akwasi Darko Boateng (Bosome Freho) and George Kwabena Obeng Takyi (Manso Nkwanta).
Read also: See list of sitting NPP MPs who failed to retain slots in NPP primaries
- Joseph Cudjoe – Effia
- Freda Prempeh – Tano North
- Sarah Adwoa Safo – Dome Kwabenya
- Ama Pomaa Boateng – Juaben
- Sheila Bartels – Ablekuma North
- Moses Anim – Trobu
- John Benam Jabaale – Zabzugu
- Tina Naa Ayerley Mensah – Weija/Gbawe
- Eugene Boakye Antwi – Subin
- Akwasi Afrifa Mensah – Amasaman
- Dr Amoako Kissi – Anyaa Sowutuom
- Yves Hanson Nortey – Tema Central
- Bright Wireko Brobbey – Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira
- Elvis Donkor – Abura Asebu Kwamankese
- Erickson Abekah – Shama
- Akwasi Darko Boateng – Bosome Freho
- Kwadjo Asante – Suhum
- Mahama Asem Seini – Daboya Mankarigu
- Gifty Twum Ampofo – Abuakwa North
- Lariba Zuwera Abudu – Walewale
- Collins Ntim – Offinso North
- Kofi Okyere Agyekum – Fanteakwa South
- Amankwah Asiamah – Fanteakwa North
- John Osei Frimpong – Abirem
- Isaac Kwame Asiamah – Atwima Mponua
- George Kwabena Obeng Takyi – Manso Nkwanta:
- Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi – Odotobri
- Emmanuel Anwhere – Atwima Nwabiagya
