Residents of Asante Akyem North have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to help bring their Member of Parliament, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, back to Ghana after six months in detention in the Netherlands.
The constituents made the plea at a candlelight vigil on Monday, 9 November, where they called on the president to intervene in the case of the lawmaker, popularly known as OK Frimpong.
Wearing red and black and carrying candles, those attending also asked Johnson Asiedu Nketia, national chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to take their concerns to the presidency while their elected representative remains unable to attend Parliament.
“We are on our knees, begging the president to intervene. Asiedu Nketia, we want you to put in a word for us,” a spokesperson for the residents said in a video from the vigil reported by GhanaWeb.
Frimpong, a first-term independent MP, won the Asante Akyem North seat in December 2024. He was arrested after arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Sunday, 10 May 2026, following a United States extradition warrant.
The warrant relates to allegations of romance scams and money laundering, which Frimpong has denied. He has remained in Dutch custody while challenging the US extradition request.
On Tuesday, 3 November, Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor told Parliament that Dutch courts had rejected Frimpong’s application for bail and his appeal against that decision.
Dafeamekpor said the substantive extradition case was due to be heard on Wednesday, 18 November 2026. Frimpong is expected to remain in detention while the proceedings continue.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and parliamentary leaders have contacted Ghana’s embassy in The Hague over the matter. The embassy has been asked to provide consular assistance and visit the MP in custody.
The MP’s continued absence has also raised questions over the future of the Asante Akyem North seat.
Majority Leader James Agalga has said the seat will not be declared vacant because Frimpong has not been convicted of an offence.
However, private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has warned that the position could be challenged. He cited a 2008 Court of Appeal precedent concerning MPs who miss 15 sittings without the Speaker’s written permission, saying it could put the seat at risk.
