List of MPs elected in the 2020 Ghanaian general election
MPs of the Fourth Republic of Ghana
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The 2020 Ghanaian general election was held on 7 December 2020 to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.[1] The Speaker is not an elected member of parliament though is qualified to stand for election as such. There are a total of 276 constituencies in Ghana. The 8th Parliament convened on 7 January 2021 to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speakers as well as for the administration of oaths to the Speaker and Members of Parliament.
| Colonial Era | |
| 1951 Assembly | (election) |
| 1954 Assembly | (election) |
| 1956 Assembly | (election) |
| First Republic | |
| 1957 Parliament | (election) |
| 1965 Parliament | (election) |
| Second Republic | |
| 1969 Parliament | (election) |
| Third Republic | |
| 1979 Parliament | (election) |
| Fourth Republic | |
| 1st Parliament | (1992) |
| 2nd Parliament | (1996) |
| 3rd Parliament | (2000) |
| 4th Parliament | (2004) |
| 5th Parliament | (2008) |
| 6th Parliament | (2012) |
| 7th Parliament | (2016) |
| 8th Parliament | (2020) |
| 9th Parliament | (2024) |
Current composition
| Affiliation | Members |
|---|---|
| New Patriotic Party (NPP) | 137 |
| National Democratic Congress (NDC) | 137 |
| Independent | 1 |
| Total | 275 |
| Government Majority | 1[a] |
| Source: GhanaWeb | |
List of MPs elected in the general election
Some of the MPs who had been in parliament for many years decided not to stand again in the 2020 election. There were 11 in this category including Alban Bagbin, MP for Nadowli West constituency and previously Nadowli North since 2001. As many as 40 NPP MPs lost their primaries while 9 suffered the same fate in the NDC.[2]
| Table of contents:
Ahafo Region • Ashanti Region • Bono Region • Bono East region • Central Region • Eastern Region • Greater Accra Region • Northern Region
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- The independent candidate, a former NPP MP, votes with the NPP giving NPP a majority of 1 in the house.
- These 11 MPs decided to quit and to not contest their seats again in the 2020 election.
- John Kumah died after a short illness leading to a by-election being scheduled for the Ejisu constituency.
- Fomena - In October 2020, following the decision of the incumbent MP, Andrew Asiamah Amoako to stand as an independent candidate in the 2020 Ghanaian general election, the NPP, petitioned the Speaker of Parliament to expel him which he did.
- Philip Basoah died on 28 March 2023, triggering a by-election.
- These MPs lost the primaries within their parties and therefore could not defend their seats in the 2020 election.
- Quayson was ordered by the Supreme Court of Ghana to stop sitting as an MP on 13 April 2022. This follows him appealing a Cape Coast High Court decision nullifying his election and ordering a by-election.
- Mfantseman - 9 October 2020: The incumbent MP, Ekow Hayford of the NPP was murdered by armed robbers on the Nkusukum Mankessim-Abeadze Duadze Road on his way from a campaign trip. As his death is less than three months before the 2020 Ghanaian general election, Article 112 (5) of the 1992 Ghanaian Constitution stipulates that there should not be a by-election in the constituency.
By-elections
- Kumawu - 23 May 2023 - A by-election was conducted by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. This followed the sudden death of Philip Basoah on 28 March 2023.[6] There were two independent candidates bearing the same name.[24] Ernest Yaw Anim of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) polled 15,264 votes (70.91%) while Kwasi Amankwaa of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) polled 3,723 votes (17.29%).[25]
- Assin North - 27 June 2023. A by-election was conducted to replace James Gyakye Quayson who was removed after losing his appeal at the Cape Coast High Court.[26] Quayson won the by-election to take back the seat he had lost in the courts in April 2022. He won 17,245 votes (57.56%) beating his closest rival from the NPP Charles Opoku who had 12,630 votes (42.15%). Quayson was thus re-elected.[27]
- Ejisu - Following the death of John Kumah the incumbent MP, the Electoral Commission held a bye election in April 2024 that saw NPP's Kwabena Boateng clinch back the seat for his part with 55.8% of the total votes cast. His closest contender, a former MP for the constituency, Kwabena Aduomi secured 43.3% of the total votes cast.[28][29][30]
Speaker Declares Four Seats Vacant
The speaker of Parliament on 17 October 17 2024 declared four seats in Parliament vacant following the decision of current holders to go independent from the ticket of the political party on which they were initially elected.[31] The affected seats were NDC's Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah of Amenfi Central constituency in the Western Region, Andrew Amoakoh Asiamah of Fomena in the Ashanti Region, Kojo Asante, NPP MP for Suhum in the Eastern Region, and NPP's Cynthia Morrison of Agona West constituency.[32]
Notes
- Non-returning members (MPs) - 111 MPs in all will not return to Parliament when it opens on 7 January 2021 for varied reasons. For the NPP, 4 MPs decided to retire from Parliament while 41 lost in the NPP primaries. In the election itself, a further 33 lost their seats meaning 78 NPP MPs out of 169 from the previous parliament will not be present. For the NDC, 7 MPs chose to retire and 8 lost the primaries. The election resulted in another 18 losing their seats so 33 NDC MPs in all from the 7th Parliament will be absent. Those from the NPP who retired were Anthony Akoto Osei, MP for Tafo Pankrono, Kwabena Appiah-Pinkrah, MP for Akrofuom, Ziblim Iddi MP for Gushegu and Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey MP for Anyaa Sowutuom. The 7 from the NDC who retired were Alban Bagbin, MP for Nadowli, Richard Quashigah, MP for Keta, Inusah Fuseini, Tamale Central, Bernice Adiku Heloo, Hohoe, Magnus Kofi Amoatey, Yilo Krobo, Clement Kofi Humado, Anlo and Fiifi Kwetey for Ketu South.[33][34]
- Fomena - In October 2020, Andrew Asiamah Amoako the incumbent MP, who was one of the 41 to lose the NPP primaries opted to stand as an independent candidate. This led to him being sacked by the party as by registering as an independent candidate, the party no longer recognised him as a member. The NPP then wrote to the Speaker of Parliament stating that he was no longer a member of the party and could not take his seat in parliament. The Speaker, Mike Oquaye subsequently declared the Fomena seat vacant in line with Article 97(1)(g) of the constitution.[35][36] President Nana Akufo-Addo during the election campaign suggested to the people of Fomena that they would not benefit from having an independent MP and tried to woo him back.[37][38] It is claimed Akufo-Addo cited Amoako's alleged disrespect for him as the reason why he could not work with him.[39] Amoako however won his seat as an independent.
- Mfantseman - Following the murder of the incumbent MP by armed robbers during the election campaign,[40][41] the seat was declared vacant due to there being less than three months before the election.[42] Ophelia Hayford, widow of Ekow Hayford contested in place of her husband and won the seat.
- Assin North - On 13 April 2022, the Supreme Court of Ghana ruled by a 5-2 majority decision that James Gyakye Quayson could not continue to sit in the house as MP for Assin North. This was after he had appealed a Cape Coast High Court ruling that had nullified his election and ordered a by-election following a petition.[43][44]
- Four first-time MPs were alleged to have continued receiving salaries from their previous jobs although they had taken their seats in parliament. Three of them, Stephen Jalulah of Pru West, Alhassan Iddi for Salaga North, and Alexander Gyan of Kintampo South have apparently returned the excess payments while Sylvester Tetteh of Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro has denied that he has collected any double salary.[45][46]
- Ejisu - The MP for Ejisu, John Kumah died on 7 March 2024 after a short illness. He was also the Deputy Minister for Finance in the NPP government of Nana Akufo-Addo.[47][48]
- Motion for MPs representing political parties switching allegiance to stand as independents or for other parties to vacate their seats - Haruna Iddrisu (NDC), MP for Tamale South wrote to the Speaker of Parliament invoking Article 97 (1) (g) which requires the seat of a sitting MP to be declared vacant if they leave the party on whose ticket they were voted into parliament.[49] The MPs in question are Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah (NDC), Amenfi Central MP, Kwadjo Asante (NPP), Suhum MP, Cynthia Mamle Morrison (NPP), Agona West MP and Andrew Asiamah Amoako (Independent), Fomena MP and Second Deputy Speaker.[50] Alexander Afenyo-Markin (NPP), majority leader and MP for Effutu indicated that he had filed an application at the Supreme Court of Ghana to settle the case. The concern is that the Independent candidate votes with NPP which gives the NPP a majority of 1. If all four MPs vacate their seats, the majority loses 3 votes while NDC loses 1 leaving the NDC with a majority of 1 in the house as the NPP and NDC have 137 members each.[51] The Speaker, Alban Bagbin after listening to the debate in the house, asked to be given two days to come up with a ruling on the matter.[52] The Speaker ruled on 17 October 2024 that the four MPs have vacated their seats by notification of polls to stand for different parties than they stand for currently, they were deemed to have vacated their seats in parliament.[53] The Supreme Court of Ghana presided over by the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo granted a stay of execution of the Speaker's ruling pending a full determination of the suit filed before it.[54]