The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected claims that its defeat in the Akwatia by-election signals declining support, instead attributing the outcome to inducements and what it describes as the misuse of incumbency by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Evans Nimako, the NPP’s Director of Research and Elections, said the results could not be taken as a straightforward rejection of the party by the people of Akwatia.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Wednesday, September 3, Mr. Nimako argued that the NDC’s success was shaped by questionable tactics rather than a genuine shift in voter loyalty.
“We witnessed inducements in the constituency, we witnessed abuse of incumbency; these were evident,” he stressed.
He also reminded Ghanaians that the NPP had won Akwatia during the 2024 general elections by a margin of more than 2,000 votes.
According to him, this makes it unfair to interpret the NDC’s nearly 3,000-vote victory margin in the by-election as a permanent change in the constituency’s political alignment.
The by-election, held after the passing of sitting MP Ernest Kumi, saw NDC’s Bernard Bediako emerge victorious. The result has triggered nationwide debate about what it means for the NPP’s long-term prospects as the party looks toward the 2028 elections.
