Incumbent Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Ato Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has secured re-election with a decisive margin of 20,170 votes, defeating two other contenders.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, who also serves as the Majority Leader of Parliament and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate, garnered 39,512 out of 59,623 votes cast.
His closest rival, Dr. James Kofi Annan of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), polled 19,383 votes, while Independent candidate Ms. Louisa Buabeng received 81 votes.
In the Effutu Presidential race, NPP’s Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia recorded 32,200 votes, while former President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC secured 25,127 out of 58,275 valid votes. Rejected ballots totaled 1,348.
After being declared the winner by the Electoral Commission’s Returning Officer, Afenyo-Markin expressed gratitude to God, his constituency executives, and all supporters.
“In 2012, I won with a margin of 2,083 votes. In 2016, the margin increased to 10,000, then to 15,000 in 2020, and now, in 2024, it has grown to 20,170,” he said, highlighting his consistent electoral growth. He attributed his success to hard work and the trust of the people of Effutu.
He pledged to continue working to meet the aspirations of his constituents and encouraged his colleagues who lost to persevere. “If not today, it will be tomorrow,” he remarked, urging them to reflect on their challenges and re-engage with the people.
Meanwhile, Dr. James Kofi Annan of the NDC thanked God, his party members, and supporters for their dedication. He, however, alleged irregularities during the elections, claiming malpractices that compromised the integrity of the process.
“No one has truly won Effutu,” he stated, calling for investigations into the alleged anomalies. He also decried incidents of intimidation and harassment of NDC members, accusing the police of bias. “Some of our members were isolated at polling centers while security personnel looked on,” he alleged.
Dr. Annan urged supporters to remain calm and avoid actions that could disrupt the peace of Effutu.
“Long live Effutu, long live NDC, and long live Ghana,” he concluded, emphasizing his commitment to addressing the challenges and seeking a way forward for the constituency.
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