VIDEO: Watch the moment late Akwatia MP's seat was draped in red in parliament

Ghana’s Parliament has been plunged into mourning following the untimely death of the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Hon. Ernest Kumi, whose passing was confirmed on Monday, July 7, 2025.

The young and vibrant legislator died after a brief illness, leaving behind a shocked chamber and grieving constituents.

In a moving moment captured on video, a member of the Minority Caucus, assisted by a clerk of Parliament, was seen solemnly draping Kumi’s seat in red cloth, a traditional symbol of mourning and respect for departed lawmakers.

The gesture came after Parliament suspended its sitting and adjourned until Tuesday, July 8, to honour the memory of their late colleague.

Parliamentary correspondent Kweku Asante of Joy News reported that Ernest Kumi had been present in Parliament just last week, making the news of his death even more difficult to process for fellow MPs.

First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, who presided over the brief sitting, delivered a heartfelt message on behalf of the House:

“The House is accordingly adjourned until Tuesday, 8th July 2025, at 2:00 in the afternoon,” he declared, extending condolences to the bereaved family, the people of Akwatia, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

His political journey was marked by a fiercely contested election victory in December 2024, after the Akwatia seat became a major battleground between the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Kumi’s win restored the seat to the NPP and established him as a passionate voice in the chamber, particularly on issues of governance and development.

Tributes from both sides of the House have poured in, with MPs describing him as humble, principled, and devoted to his constituents.

His death also comes just months after a legal ordeal that thrust him into the national spotlight.

In February 2025, he was found in contempt by the Koforidua High Court for defying an interim injunction related to the 2024 parliamentary election. However, the Supreme Court later overturned the contempt ruling, clearing his name.

Now, barely five months after that ruling, his unexpected passing has brought sorrow and silence to Ghana’s legislative body.

As Parliament prepares to reconvene, official funeral arrangements and tributes are expected in the coming days.

His death is not just a loss to Akwatia and the NPP, but to Ghana’s democratic space as a whole.

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