Akwatia by-election loss not a reflection of 2028 – JFK
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has downplayed the party’s defeat in the Akwatia by-election, insisting it does not signal what to expect in the 2028 general elections.
Certified results released by the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, showed Bernard Bediako Baidoo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) winning with 18,199 votes out of 33,819 valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Solomon Kwame Asumadu of the NPP, polled 15,235 votes, while Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Progressive Party (LPP) secured 82 votes. A total of 303 ballots were rejected.
“This by-election is not a reflection of what will happen in 2028. We knew it was going to be a very difficult contest for us following the passing of our MP, Ernest Kumi, but the NPP has demonstrated great strength,” Kodua said during an interview with Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme.
He further explained that elections are about winning and losing, adding that the outcome in Akwatia was not surprising given the constituency’s electoral history.
“In every election, it is either you win or you lose. The Akwatia seat is a swing constituency, and whichever party wins does so by a very small margin,” he stated.
Justin Frimpong Kodua said the party entered the Akwatia by-election fully aware of the odds against it.
Mr. Kodua explained that the National Democratic Congress campaigned largely on promises of development, a message that resonated with sections of the constituency and influenced the outcome.
He, however, stressed that the 15,235 votes secured by the NPP’s candidate, Solomon Kwame Asumadu, reflected the party’s enduring strength in the area.
“For a party in government, the NDC campaigned mainly on development and told the people to vote for them based on that. That message helped them and influenced some parts of the constituency, he explained.
He added, “The 15,000 votes we had prove that the NPP is still very strong in Akwatia. I am very happy with the performance of our candidate and the support we received. We will be watching closely to see if the NDC will indeed bring the development they promised.”
Mr. Kodua also commended the NPP candidate, constituency executives, and party members for their hard work despite the loss, and expressed gratitude to God for a peaceful by-election.
“This by-election will not bring us down. I want to thank our candidate, our constituency executives, and all the bigwigs who came to support us. Above all, we thank God for a successful by-election,” the NPP General Secretary said.
