Legal practitioner and representative of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),Bernard Bediako Baidoo, has secured a decisive win in the highly competitive Akwatia by-election.
Baidoo, running as a private attorney, amassed 18,199 votes—roughly 54% of the total ballots cast—ushering in a significant victory for the NDC as they reclaim the pivotal swing constituency from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
His main challenger, Solomon Kwame Asumadu of the NPP, earned 15,235 votes, while Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) received 82 votes.
This outcome shifts the balance of power in Akwatia, a constituency where the NPP had maintained a narrow 5-to-4 parliamentary advantage since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992.
Baidoo’s triumph follows an intense campaign season and a fiercely contested NDC primary in August, where he overcame competition from Erasmus Koney Ali and former Member of Parliament Henry Yiadom Boakye to clinch the party’s nomination.
In the 2024 general elections, the late Ernest Yaw Kumi of the NPP had previously won the Akwatia seat by a margin of 2,063 votes, defeating Boakye. Kumi secured approximately 19,269 votes, while Boakye garnered around 17,206.
The by-election was not without incident. Early in the day, law enforcement apprehended an individual accused of vandalizing campaign posters at a polling center. The prompt response from police helped prevent further disruption.
Later, at the Akwatia lorry station within the Vawaso Electoral Area, tensions flared during a confrontation between Alhaji Osman Masawudu, NPP’s Third National Vice Chairman, and a member of Chief Sofo Azorka’s entourage—Azorka being the NDC’s Vice Chairman. The altercation occurred in the presence of police officers, who swiftly stepped in to defuse the situation and restore order.
With Baidoo’s victory, the NDC regains a strategic foothold in Akwatia, setting the stage for renewed political momentum ahead of future contests.
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