The Member of Parliament for Oforikrom in the Ashanti Region, Michael Aidoo, has detailed how the late Member of Parliament for Akwatia in the Eastern Region, Ernest Yaw Kumi, endured humiliation before eventually being sworn in as an MP.

According to him, during the swearing-in of Members of Parliament on January 7, 2025, Kumi was subjected to intense scrutiny by the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces, who used sniffing dogs to search for him around the parliamentary premises.

The security agencies reportedly attempted to block his swearing-in due to uncertainties surrounding his election at the time.

Speaking in an interview on Oyerepa TV on July 18, 2025, the Oforikrom MP explained that security operatives searched vehicles and combed the entire environment of Parliament with sniffer dogs in an effort to locate Kumi and prevent him from entering the chamber.

He recounted that it took what he described as a “miraculous” effort for Kumi to finally make his way into the chamber to be sworn in.

“Some of us, when we remember Ernest Kumi, we become very sad. We don’t want to speak emotionally, but everyone close to Ernest Kumi knows he fought for his seat. He won the election with over 2,000 votes, yet he was dragged to court on claims he didn’t win.

“And when he went to work, they chased him with sniffing dogs. On the day we were sworn in on January 7, they brought in the military and police to secure the entire environment.

Without presenting evidence, the Oforikrom MP asserted that, “they used the dogs to search cars and all corners of Parliament to see if Ernest Kumi was hiding somewhere, just to stop him from being sworn in. How Ernest Kumi managed to enter Parliament that day, only God knows,” he said.

The MP further stated that after the swearing-in, a court placed an injunction on Kumi, forcing him to endure prolonged legal battles until his death.

Ernest Yaw Kumi, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Akwatia, passed away on July 7, 2025, after a short illness.

A first-time MP, Kumi had been embroiled in a protracted legal battle over the legitimacy of his election. His death came just weeks after the Supreme Court overturned his contempt conviction related to the disputed 2024 parliamentary election results.



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