Akwatia by-election: Edudzi hails Asiedu Nketia as “electionist”

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is celebrating a major electoral upset in Akwatia, where its candidate Bernard Bediako Baidoo snatched the parliamentary seat from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in a fiercely contested by-election.

In the aftermath of the victory, the party’s Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, singled out NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, also known as “General Mosquito,” for praise, hailing him as the brain behind the win.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Tameklo described the veteran politician as “an electionist,” stressing that Nketia’s unmatched grasp of Ghana’s political terrain makes him a formidable force. “He knows the game very well,” Mr. Tameklo remarked, warning that it would be unwise for anyone to underestimate the Chairman’s influence and strategic skills.

He further noted how Mr. Nketia personally involved himself in the Akwatia contest, adding that the Chairman took the battle for the seat “so personal,” a reflection of his tactical depth and devotion to the NDC’s cause.

The by-election, held on Tuesday, September 2, produced a decisive result. Mr. Baidoo, a private legal practitioner, polled 18,199 votes, representing about 54 percent of the ballots. His closest challenger, Solomon Kwame Asumadu of the NPP, secured 15,235 votes, while Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) managed just 82.

The victory is a significant breakthrough for the NDC, which has now reclaimed a critical swing constituency in the Eastern Region. Akwatia has long been one of Ghana’s most hotly contested seats, with the NPP holding a narrow 5-4 parliamentary edge there since 1992.

Tuesday’s result followed an energetic campaign and an intense internal primary in August, where Mr. Baidoo outperformed strong party contenders, including Erasmus Koney Ali and former MP Henry Yiadom Boakye.

The election was triggered by the death of Ernest Yaw Kumi, the NPP MP who won the seat in 2024 by defeating Henry Yiadom Boakye with a margin of just over 2,000 votes.