Legal practitioner Bernard Bediako Baidoo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has emerged victorious in the closely contested Akwatia parliamentary by-election, securing a crucial win for the opposition party in a swing constituency.
Bediako polled 18,199 votes, representing about 54% of the valid votes cast, while his closest contender, Solomon Kwame Asumadu of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), garnered 15,235 votes. Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) trailed with 82 votes.
The victory is a significant breakthrough for the NDC, reclaiming a seat long viewed as a swing constituency where the NPP had maintained a narrow edge in parliamentary representation since 1992. In the 2024 general election, the late Ernest Yaw Kumi of the NPP won the Akwatia seat by a margin of 2,063 votes, defeating the NDC’s Henry Yiadom Boakye.
Bediako’s win follows a fiercely contested campaign and competitive NDC primaries in August, where he secured the party’s ticket by defeating rivals Erasmus Koney Ali and former MP Henry Yiadom Boakye.
The election day, however, was not without drama. Early in the day, police arrested a man accused of tearing down a candidate’s campaign posters at a polling station, preventing potential voter disruption.
Later, at the Akwatia lorry station in the Vawaso Electoral Area, a heated confrontation occurred between Alhaji Osman Masawudu, NPP Third National Vice Chairman, and an escort of Chief Sofo Azorka, NDC Vice Chairman. Police intervened promptly to restore calm.
Bediako’s win has already sparked celebrations among NDC supporters, signaling a boost for the party ahead of the 2028 general elections and reaffirming Akwatia’s status as a crucial battleground constituency.
