Candidates Make Last-Minute Push Ahead of December 7 Elections

With just four days to go until the December 7 elections, parliamentary candidates across Ghana are pulling out all the stops to sway voters, and in Kwesimintsim constituency, one incumbent MP has made a surprising appearance in an attempt to connect with his constituents.

Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, was recently filmed in a viral video taking on the role of a trotro conductor, or ‘mate.’ The footage showed Dr. Armah assisting passengers on a crowded trotro traveling from Whindo, a suburb in his constituency, through Assakae to the Kwesimintsim lorry station. This unexpected move left many residents stunned, with some questioning the sincerity of his actions. Diana Yankey, a local resident, expressed her frustration, saying, “I’m fed up with our MP. He’s hardly ever in the constituency, and now he’s pretending to be one of us by boarding a Trotro? We’ll see something new in this election, and I’m voting him out!”

Dr. Armah, a first-time MP, has held prominent roles, including serving as the Acting Director-General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) and currently as the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing. Despite his achievements, his move to assume a more relatable role as a trotro conductor appears to be an effort to connect with voters as the race heats up.

In the Kwesimintsim constituency, 57,648 voters will decide between three candidates on December 7. Dr. Armah faces stiff competition from Lawyer Philip Fiifi Buckman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and Joe Mensah, a former Member of Parliament running as an independent candidate. Each candidate is confident about their chances, with Mensah emphasizing his past record as an MP, Armah highlighting his tenure and experience in education, and Buckman leveraging his legal background and influence in the constituency.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has announced that it will recall the Western Region ballot papers and reschedule special voting for Thursday, December 5. This will impact the Kwesimintsim constituency, where around 348 individuals will cast their votes ahead of the main election day.