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| - Claim: A Plus claims to be the first independent candidate to win a parliamentary seat in the Central Region.
Source: Kwame Asare Obeng
Verdict: True
Researched by Samuel Nii Adjetey
The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, has claimed to have made history as the first independent parliamentary candidate to win a seat in the Central Region.
He made the statement during a media interaction (archived here) in Parliament on 8 January 2025, emphasising the uniqueness of his victory in the Gomoa Central constituency during the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“My decision to caucus with the NDC is my decision, I was part of those who brought Akufo-Addo to power, I left him and I went to the constituency. This is the first time anybody has won as an independent candidate in the Central Region. It has never happened before,” he said.
Background
The Central Region, home to Gomoa Central, has historically been a competitive battleground for major political parties, making the emergence of independent candidates noteworthy.
The just-ended 2024 parliamentary election saw a total of four independent candidates winning seats. The four were:
|Name
|Constituency
|Region
|Ohene Kwame Frimpong
|Asante-Akim North
|Ashanti
|Kwame Asare Obeng
|Gomoa Central
|Central
|Worlase Kpeli
|Afram Plains North
|Eastern
|Nandaya Yaw Stanley
|Wulensi
|Northern
Fact-Check
To verify the claim, GhanaFact reviewed electoral data of parliamentary vote outcomes as shared by the Inter – Parliamentary Union (IPU). With that data, we observed that since 1992, all but two electoral cycles (1996 and 2016) have produced independent MPs.
The highest number of independents are four MPs (2000, 2008 and 2024) with the lowest being one in 2004, 2020.
Prior to 2024, the regions that had produced independent MPs were, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Upper East, Northern, Upper West, Volta and Eastern Regions.
Historical data from various sources confirmed that A Plus’ 2024 victory marks the first time an independent candidate has won a parliamentary seat in the Central Region since the inception of the Fourth Republic.
Fact-sheet on Independent Members of Parliament since 1992
The data below shows the number of independent MPs (their constituencies and regions) resulting from the parliamentary elections held in the 4th republic (1992-2024).
|Name
|Constituency
|Region
|1992
|Gladys Abena Nsoah
|Kintampo
|Bromg Ahafo
|Hawa Yakubu
|Bawku Central
|Upper East
|2000
|Joseph Akudibilla
|Garu/Tempane
|Upper East
|Abubakar Saddique
|Salaga
|Northern
|James Victor Gbeho
|Anlo
|Volta
|Rashid Bawa
|Akan
|Volta
|2004
|Joseph Yaani Labik
|Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo
|Northern
|2008
|Joseph Osei-Owusu
|Bekwai
|Ashanti
|Nana Yaw Edward Ofori-Kuragu
|Bosome-Freho
|Ashanti
|Seth Adjei Baah
|Nkawkaw
|Eastern
|Saani Iddi
|Wulensi
|Northern
|2012
|Alhassan Dahamani
|Tamale North
|Northern
|Paul Derigubah
|Jirapa
|Upper West
|Joseph Kwadwo Ofori
|Akan
|Volta
|2020
|Andrew Asiamah Amoako
|Fomena
|Ashanti
|2024
|Ohene Kwame Frimpong
|Asante-Akim North
|Ashanti
|Kwame Asare Obeng
|Gomoa Central
|Central
|Worlase Kpeli
|Afram Plains North
|Eastern
|Nandaya Yaw Stanley
|Wulensi
|Northern
Verdict
Therefore, the MP for Gomoa Central’s claim is true.
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