The race for the Sunyani East Parliamentary seat is heating up as four candidates gear up to challenge the long-standing incumbent, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, in his quest for a fifth term.
Ameyaw-Cheremeh has held the seat for four terms, but the question remains: will his extensive experience and established reputation be enough to secure another victory in this increasingly competitive landscape?
Channel One News’s Michael Sarpong Mfum reports that with the diverse lineup of candidates, the dynamics could shift dramatically in the Sunyani East constituency which has historically leaned towards the NPP.
Sunyani East Constituency in the Bono Region is poised to be one of the most fiercely contested areas in the upcoming December elections.
It shares borders with Sunyani West, Asutifi North, and Tano North in the Ahafo Region, making it a pivotal battleground.
Data from Channel One Research Unit reveals that this constituency has been a bastion for the ruling New Patriotic Party since 1996, when the late Joseph Henry Mensah claimed the seat from the NDC, paving the way for the current MP, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh.
With provisional figures from the Electoral Commission indicating that 116,820 registered voters are set to cast their ballots on December 7 at 280 polling centres, the stakes are even higher.
Four candidates are contesting in the upcoming December elections: the incumbent, Kwasi Ameyaw Cheremeh, Seid Mubarak from the NDC, Alanyina Sampana Sampson from the PNC, and independent candidate Ransford Antwi.
In the 2020 elections, Kwasi Ameyaw Cheremeh received 49,003 votes out of 80,923 valid votes, while his closest rival, Alan Bright Sekyere of the NDC, garnered 28,933 votes.
The candidates in this year’s elections have been sharing their plans for the constituency and their expectations for December 7.
Gideon Kyeremeh Amoah, a member of the NPP communication team, spoke about the chances of the incumbent Member of Parliament, Kwasi Ameyaw Chereme.
“Every community in the Sunyani East constituency or every electoral area we can tout the MP’s achievement or his track record…In the area of sports, this is the astroturf he has given to the area. Not the area of sports alone in the area of education the MP has been able to facilitate a lot of scholarships for his constituents,” he said.
First-time contender Seid Mubarak of the NDC also outlined some of his plans for the constituency.
“I will try with my lobbying skills and get a modernized sports stadium for Sunyani because the teaming youth, we have a lot of sportsmen not only football, some are athletes and some are willing to be boxers but we don’t have the facility here. So what are praying for this sports stadium is a complex one.
“We can have a swimming pool and others in the same facility…We are working hard to ensure that the people of Sunyani will vote for me come 7th December,” he said.
This marks the fifth time Alanyina Sampana Sampson from the Peoples’ National Convention is contesting.
He believes this time he will be successful in securing the opportunity to represent the people of Sunyani East Constituency.
“People asked me to come back this year because they saw that the incumbent is not living up to expectation so I am sure of winning the election on the 7th December 2024,” he said.
Businessman and philanthropist Ransford Antwi shared his vision for the constituency.
“There are personal initiatives that I would like to touch on. I would want to introduce something we call a tools bag where the young people in our part of the country will be supplied with tools. We will place them at strategic points…Whenever you have a job you pick it, use it and return,” he said.
#GhanaPolls2024
#ElectionBureau
#CitiVerify
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
