- Kwesi Nyantakyi announces plans to run for the NPP in the Ejisu by-election.
- He is finalizing documents to submit his candidacy.
- The by-election is necessary following the death of John Kumah on February 7, 2024.
- Kumah, 45, had been preparing for a second parliamentary term and faced no primary opposition.
- Speculation exists over whether Kumah’s widow might succeed him, reflecting a local political pattern.
- Nyantakyi awaits approval from NPP elders to contest.
- Nyantakyi’s reputation was tainted by the 2018 Number 12 documentary exposing bribery and corruption in Ghanaian football, implicating him and 77 other officials.
Kwesi Nyantakyi, once the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has announced his intention to run for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming Ejisu by-election. Sources indicate that Nyantakyi is in the process of completing the necessary documentation to formalize his candidacy.
The seat became vacant following the death of John Kumah, leaving both his parliamentary position and local constituency unrepresented. The Electoral Commission is expected to organize a by-election to fill the vacant position. Kumah’s passing occurred on Thursday, February 7, 2024, after a prolonged battle with a terminal illness, according to his wife.
Kumah, aged 45, had no challengers in his party’s primary earlier in the year and had been preparing to contest for a second term in Parliament. Nyantakyi is considered a leading contender for the seat, despite speculation that Kumah’s widow might be considered for succession—a pattern observed in Ghana where widows occasionally replace deceased spouses in political positions.
Nyantakyi has expressed his readiness to serve as the party’s representative in Parliament but is awaiting approval from NPP elders. His past remains controversial; the 2018 investigative documentary Number 12 revealed Nyantakyi accepting financial gifts and exerting influence inappropriately. The documentary also implicated 77 other football officials and referees, exposing widespread corruption within Ghanaian football.