Key Points
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NDC’s Baidoo wins Akwatia by-election with over 18,000 votes.
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MP Okyere Baafi claims voters were paid GH¢500–1,000.
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Constituency remains a key political battleground in Eastern Region.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won the Akwatia by-election, but the victory has stirred controversy.
Bernard Baidoo, the NDC’s candidate, was declared winner on Tuesday after securing 18,199 votes. He defeated Solomon Asumadu of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who polled 15,235 votes.
According to the Electoral Commission, 33,516 valid votes were counted, while 303 were rejected. The by-election became necessary after the sitting NPP MP, Ernest Yaw Kumi, passed away in July following a short illness.
Okyere Baafi raises vote buying claims
Michael Okyere Baafi, the MP for New Juaben South, said the NDC’s win was not a fair contest. In an interview on AsaasePa FM, he alleged that the NDC distributed cash and items to voters.
“Almost every voter who wanted money got between GH¢500 and GH¢1,000,” he claimed. “They even gave out hair dryers and spraying machines.
Despite our campaign work, the NDC used money to tilt the outcome. At one polling center, they had a table guarded by thugs, and even the police did not step in.”
The NPP had been hopeful of retaining the seat, but Okyere Baafi said the alleged vote buying undermined the effort.
Akwatia remains a political battleground
Akwatia, in the Eastern Region, is one of Ghana’s swing constituencies. Since the start of the Fourth Republic, the NPP has held the seat five times, while the NDC has now taken it four times.
Political watchers say the by-election outcome shows how competitive the constituency remains. With allegations of vote buying hanging over the contest, the call for stricter election monitoring has grown louder.
For the NDC, Baidoo’s win strengthens its presence in Parliament. For the NPP, the result is a painful reminder of how tough the battle for Akwatia has always been.
