Dr Abdul-Jalilu Ateku has said the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the Akwatia by-election is a clear indication that the party has not yet recovered from its loss in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on The Point of View on Channel One TV, Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana noted:
“The fact is that NPP has not recovered from their 2024 defeat because if you look at the election victory of the NDC in 2024 — very massive.”
He added that the NPP still faces serious internal challenges that require urgent attention.
“So the NPP will need to put their party in order, address key issues, the differences and what have you. In my view, they are yet to do that.”
At the end of the Akwatia polls, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, emerged victorious with 18,199 votes. He defeated the NPP’s Solomon Asumadu, who secured 15,235 votes, while the Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG) Patrick Owusu managed 82 votes.
The results mean the NPP now holds 87 seats in Parliament, while the NDC has 183. Should the NDC win the upcoming Tamale Central by-election, which the NPP has already announced it will not contest, the NDC’s majority will increase to 184 seats. Four independent MPs currently make up the rest of the 275-member House.
From the 119 polling stations in Akwatia, the Electoral Commission’s Returning Officer declared that a total of 33,819 votes were cast, with 303 votes rejected. Notably, the only NPP official present at the collation centre when the results were announced was the party’s Eastern Regional Secretary.
