By Daniel Bampoe
Ernest Yaw Kumi, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Akwatia, has passed away, bringing a dramatic and controversial political chapter to a sudden end.
Ernest Kumi died on Monday, July 7, 2025, according to close family and party sources.
The cause of death is yet to be officially disclosed, and neither Parliament nor the NPP leadership has issued a formal statement.
Ernest Kumi’s death comes barely seven months into his first term in Parliament—a tenure marked by fierce electoral battles, legal wrangling, and brushes with the judiciary.
His political journey was as stormy as it was swift.
A Tumultuous Path to Parliament
Kumi burst onto the national stage during the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries in 2020, where he defeated then-incumbent MP Ama Sey to clinch the party’s ticket for Akwatia.
His victory set the stage for a showdown in one of the most hotly contested constituencies during the December 2024 general elections.
The Akwatia constituency, a key swing seat in the Eastern Region, became a flashpoint during the elections. With both the NPP and then opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) treating the seat as a must-win, tensions ran high throughout the campaign.
On December 12, 2024, after days of disputes and recounts, the Electoral Commission declared Ernest Kumi the winner with 19,269 votes, narrowly beating the NDC’s Henry Boakye-Yiadom who garnered 17,206 votes.
The declaration was made under tight security at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra, after attempts to finalize the results in the Eastern Region were thwarted by allegations of vote-rigging and chaotic scenes at collation centres.
Legal Battles and a Defiant Swearing-In
Ernest Kumi’s path to Parliament was fraught with legal hurdles.
On January 3, 2025, a High Court in Koforidua issued an interim injunction preventing him from being sworn in, following a suit by Boakye-Yiadom challenging the validity of the results.
The suit named the Electoral Commission, Ernest Kumi, and the Clerk of Parliament as respondents, arguing that the election had been marred by irregularities.
However, in defiance of the injunction, Kumi participated in the swearing-in of MPs on January 7, 2025.
His action triggered a contempt of court case, culminating in a bench warrant issued by Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe in February after Ernest Kumi repeatedly failed to appear in court.
The situation escalated further as security agencies made attempts to arrest him, sparking political commentary and sharp criticisms.
Some NPP figures decried what they saw as judicial overreach and political harassment, while the NDC insisted the law must take its course.
Supreme Court Intervention
In a dramatic turn of events, the Supreme Court quashed the contempt conviction on June 11, 2025, ruling in a 4–1 majority that the High Court’s decision lacked legal grounding.
The apex court, led by Justice Gabriel Pwamang and supported by Justices Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Ernest Gaewu, Henry Kwofi, and Adjei Frimpong, declared the bench warrant null and void, offering Kumi a major legal reprieve.
This ruling was seen as a vindication of Kumi’s camp and brought a temporary calm to the political storm around him.
Sudden Demise and the Road Ahead
Just weeks after being cleared by the Supreme Court, Ernest Kumi’s sudden death has shocked political observers and constituents alike.
Though details surrounding his passing remain unclear, the implications are already resonating in the Region and within national political circles.
The Akwatia seat is now vacant, setting the stage for what is likely to be another fiercely contested by-election.
The NPP will be eager to retain the constituency, while the NDC—having challenged Kumi’s victory from the outset—will see an opportunity to reclaim the seat.
As condolences pour in, Ghanaians are left reflecting on the brief but stormy political career of a man who defied legal orders, triumphed in a disputed election, and stood at the heart of one of the country’s most volatile parliamentary contests in recent memory.
