NPP's George Kumi To Contest Sunyani East As Independent Candidate

Ghana’s former Ambassador to Libya and Nigeria, Mr George Kumi, has declared his intentions to contest as an independent parliamentary candidate for the Sunyani East Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region in the 2016 general elections.

This is after he contested the New Patriotic Party's June 13 Parliamentary primaries with the incumbent Member of Parliament Kwasi Ameyaw-Kyeremeh and lost by a single vote difference.
Kumi polled 387 votes as against the 388 votes by Ameyaw-Kyeremeh. He challenged the results and called for a recount. 

At a press conference in Sunyani, Mr Kumi said his decision to contest as an independent candidate in the 2016 elections came after several pleadings on him by the party’s supporters in the constituency.

In addition, he said, he also prayed to God for direction after his defeat in the NPP primaries.

“I don’t want to betray the supporters who supported me and have been sacked from the party after the elections”, Mr Kumi indicated.

He said before the primaries, a number of false accusations were made against him. “I know after this press conference I will be sacked from the party”, Mr Kumi stated, encouraging his supporters not to be intimidated by the falsehood they would hear about him.

He said he had a better chance of winning the Sunyani East Constituency seat judging from his performance in the party’s primaries, "in spite of the rigging that characterized the party’s primaries in the constituency, I was able to divide the votes equally”, Mr Kumi stated.