Lawyer Bernard Baidoo has described the outcome of the Akwatia by-election a proof that his message resonated with voters.
“The people listened to the message we gave them, and we saw that they had really imbibed,” he told reporters after the results were announced and he secured a convincing victory.
“They gave us a hope, some hope of a sort, which hope has resulted in what we see today.”
The Electoral Commission’s certified results showed Baidoo securing 18,199 votes of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest rival, Kwame Asumadu of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), garnered 15,235 votes.
Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) finished a distant third with just 82 votes. In all, 33,819 votes were valid, while 303 ballots were rejected.
For Baidoo, the win was more than just political. “For me, I’ve always said, when you are going into such a contest, there are a lot of things you will hear, but I don’t focus on tangential. The focus is on the main ball,” he explained.
“My focus is to have my message delivered. The people accept it, and then they take it up and work to make sure, eh, victory is delivered,” he added.
Meanwhile, the NPP has accepted the outcome, even as disappointment lingered. Eastern Regional Secretary of the party, Tony Osei-Adjei, acknowledged the loss but emphasized respect for the will of the people.
“The party is disappointed,” he said, “but it respects the decision of the constituents.”
