The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has failed to elect a Presiding Member after two rounds of voting, leaving the Assembly without a substantive chairperson to steer its proceedings.
The election, held on Thursday, February 19, 2026, ended inconclusively as none of the candidates secured the constitutionally required two-thirds majority. The incumbent Presiding Member, Patrick Kwame Frimpong, obtained 35 votes in the first round and increased his tally slightly to 36 votes in the second round. His only challenger, Ernest Baffour Ofori, secured 24 votes in the first round and 23 votes in the second.
Despite leading in both rounds, Mr. Frimpong fell short of the minimum threshold stipulated under Section 27 of the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936), which mandates that a Presiding Member must be elected by at least two-thirds of Assembly members present and voting. With a total membership of 66 Assembly members, a candidate is required to secure no fewer than 44 votes to be duly elected.
The race was initially expected to involve four aspirants; however, Isham Alhassan and Kwame Agyemang withdrew their nominations prior to the commencement of voting, narrowing the contest to Mr. Frimpong and Mr. Ofori.
The inability to elect a Presiding Member means the Assembly must reconvene within 10 days in accordance with the law to conduct another election. Until a successful vote is achieved, the Assembly will operate without a substantive Presiding Member to chair its sittings and guide its deliberations.
The Presiding Member plays a pivotal role in maintaining order during Assembly meetings, facilitating discussions, and ensuring that decisions are taken in accordance with established procedures and legal provisions. The delay in electing one underscores the importance of consensus-building among members to guarantee effective local governance in the Kumasi metropolis.
Assembly members are expected to engage in further consultations ahead of the next meeting, with hopes that the subsequent round of voting will produce a decisive outcome and restore full leadership to the Assembly.
