A former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Maxwell Kofi Jumah, has been charged with destroying electoral materials and disturbing public peace, effectively ending his political career on a criminal note.
Jumah, who wanted to return to Parliament on the ticket of Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti Region, was last Saturday arrested for ripping up the party’s voters’ register in a gangster fashion two hours into voting.
The ex-Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development was handcuffed like a common criminal and sent to the police station and charged.
He resorted to such an action after suspecting the register was doctored to suit his opponent, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the Constituency, Patricia Agyei.
Others said, he was apparently angered by the rousing welcome that was accorded his contender when she came to the voting area.
He was quickly arrested, handcuffed and whisked away by the police.
The two have been bickering for some time now, with the incumbent MP, accusing Mr. Jumah of scheming against her.
The Electoral Commission (EC) had to suspend the election, because the delegates refused to exercise their franchise until Jumah is released.
When the votes were counted after the ballot, Mr. Jumah, was beaten for the second consecutive time in the Asokwa Constituency by Patricia Appiagyei.
He managed 158 votes, secondary to Appiagyei, who polled an overwhelming 326.
In what may be described as a double agony, the delegates decided to punish Jumah better known as Kofi Ghana by voting massively for Patricia Appiagyei.
She beat him four years ago, when the party went into the primaries.
The two candidates are quite popular in the region, having served in same capacities as Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) boss at different times in the same region.
Mr. Jumah, popularly called, Kofi Ghana, was Kumasi Mayor in ex-president Kufuor’s first tenure and moved into Parliament to represent the people of Asokwa.
But he later lost the seat to Appiagyei in the primary of 2011. Appiagyei, was also appointed as Mayor before subsequently winning the Asokwa seat.
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