Private legal practitioner and Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has renewed calls for Ghana to scrap by-elections entirely, advocating for automatic replacement of Members of Parliament who vacate their seats.
Reacting to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision not to contest the upcoming Tamale Central by-election, Mr. Bentil commended the governing party for what he described as a “smart, sensitive” move. “I hope it is reciprocated. And as I’ve said in the past, I hope by-elections are scrapped altogether. Well done, NPP,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Addressing those who argued that elections should always be contested, Bentil countered: “That view is not universally accepted. Ask the British why they replace prime ministers instead of voting each time.”
His comments follow the NPP’s announcement on Monday, August 11, 2025, that it would not field a candidate in the by-election triggered by the death of Tamale Central MP, Dr. Murtala Mohammed, in the August 6 helicopter crash. The party said its decision was informed by the “circumstances under which the seat has become vacant” and the need to avoid political polarization during a period of national mourning.
In a statement signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP described by-elections as often breeding “tension and acrimony” and insisted that the most fitting tribute to Dr. Mohammed and other crash victims was to focus on unity, peace, and the fight against illegal mining rather than political rivalry.
Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, also praised the NPP’s decision, urging the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to withdraw from the upcoming Akwatia by-election in a similar show of sensitivity.
The Electoral Commission is yet to open nominations for the Tamale Central by-election, but the NPP has reaffirmed it will not participate “in accord with the national interest.”
