By-elections are a part of Ghana’s democratic journey, they are snap polls of sorts that are called when there is a vacancy in parliament due to the incapacitation of a Member of Parliament – death, resignation, incarceration etc.
Their importance is underlined by the fact that an MP represents an entire group of people (constituency) in parliament and the law does not want a situation where people are not represented ably in the lawmaking chamber.
In three decades of the 1992 Constitution, Ghana has had 30 by-elections with half of them being won by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NDC) whiles the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won 14.
The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) are the only other party to win a by-election.
First parliament (1993 – 1996)
The context to NDC’s three wins in the first parliament is that the NPP boycotted the parliamentary polls and contested in only the presidential polls.
1. New Edubiase (1993) NDC
2. Wenchi East(1995) NDC
3. Tano South (1995) NDC
4. Navrongo Central (1995) Independent
The Independent Candidate who won the Navrongo Central seat is the late John Setuni Achuliwor.
Second parliament (1997 – 2001)
5. Lambussie (1999) NDC
6. Ablekuma Central (1999) NPP
The Lambussie by-election was won by a then 37-year-old teacher, Alice Teni Boon.
3rd parliament (2001-2004)
7. Kumawu (2002) NPP (the death of Reo Basoah)
8. Bimbilla (2002) NPP
9. Wulensi (2003) NPP
10. Navrongo Central (2003) NPP
11. Gomoa East (2003) NPP
12. Amenfi West (2003) NPP
13. Upper Denkyira (2004) NPP
NPP won all 7 by-elections in the 3rd parliament of the 4th republic.
4th parliament (2005-2008)
14. Asawase (2005) NDC
15. Odododiodio (2005) NDC
16. Offinso South (2006) NPP
17. Tamale entral (2006) NDC
18. Fomena (2007) NPP
19. Nkoranza North (2007) NPP
Muntaka Mubarak first entered the Parliament of Ghana in 2005 when he won the by-election in the Asawase constituency replacing the late Dr. Gibril Adamu.
5th parliament ( 2009- 2012)
20. Chereponi (2009) NDC
21. Jirapa (2009) NDC
22. Atiwa (2010) NPP
6th parliament (2013-2016)
23. Akatsi South (2013) NDC
24. Buem (2013) NDC
25. Kumbungu (2013) CPP
26. Talensi (2015) NDC
27. Amenfi West (2015) NDC
28. Abuakwa North (2016) NPP
29. Abetifi (2016) NPP
7th parliament
30. Ayawaso West Wuogon (2019)
The by-election was necessitated by the death of the MP for the area, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko. His wife contested on the ticket of the NPP and won. She is Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan.
Source: ghanaweb.com
