Parliament has notified the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a by-election in the Kumawu Constituency, following the death of Mr Philip Basoah, Member of Parliament (MP) for the area.

The clerk to parliament, Mr Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, acting on the orders of the House, notified the Chairperson of the EC.

This was announced by Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on the floor of the House.

The speaker said the house had formally communicated to the chairperson of the EC the unfortunate demise of their colleague, which had led to a vacancy in the House.

The Clerk, in accordance with Section 3 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana (Amendment) Act 1996, Act 527, wrote to notify the EC Chairperson of the occurrence of a vacancy on March 27, 2023, in the Membership of Parliament necessitated by the death of Mr Basoah.

The Clerk requested the EC Chairperson to take consequential action as required by law.

Mr Basoah passed on in the early hours of Tuesday, March 28. He died at the age of 53 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Philip Atta Basoah was conspicuously missing in parliament last Friday, March 24, 2023, during a critical vote to confirm ministerial appointees of President Akufo-Addo.

Neither his personal assistant nor anyone close to him knew his whereabouts until his room was forcibly opened, only to find him collapsed.

He was rushed to the hospital in a coma but passed away while plans were underway to fly him out for further care.