The Akwatia by-election is gradually heating up, with both the National Democratic Congress, NDC, and the New Patriotic Party, NPP, gearing up for a fierce battle.
The by-election, scheduled for September 2, 2025, was necessitated by the demise of the sitting NPP Member of Parliament, Ernest Yaw Kumi, on July 7, 2025.
Already, the NPP has selected and endorsed Chief Executive Officer of Owuo Mining Company Limited, Solomon Kwame Asumadu, as its parliamentary candidate.
The NDC on the other hand, has announced August 4, for its parliamentary primaries, with nominations opened on July 28 and will close on July 30. The party is expected to vet the aspirants on July 31.
Three individuals have declared their interest to contest for the NDC ticket; Henry Boakye Yiadom, the party’s 2024 parliamentary candidate and a one-time Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Erasmus Koney Ali, an assembly member and presiding member at the Assembly and Bernard Bediako Baidoo, a lawyer and NDC Constituency Secretary for Akwatia.
But the question is, with the NDC already having a super majority in Parliament, does the Akwatia seat really matter?
1st Deputy Majority Whip, Comfort Doyoe, in an interview with 3news on July 29 said the party will go all out for the seat in Akwatia.
‘’If it’s raining would the sea say I have water already so the rain should not come in? And Akwatia the reason we need to get this is that there should be an MP that can lobby and lobby properly for the good people of Akwatia,” she explained.
She said there is a lot of development that the John Mahama government will be undertaking and the people of Akwatia need to benefit more if they have an MP who is in the majority.
“If you are a Member of Parliamnet for NDC, it’s earlier lobby than you are in opposition. So nobody should go and advise Akwatia people to vote for an opposition member, if you do that you are not helping your constituency,’’ she pointed out.
Comfort Doyoe says the seat is a done deal for the NDC.
“We have taken it twice and they have also taken it twice since it was divided, so Akwatia is no man’s land, its 50-50. It’s a done deal, unless the people of Akwatia say we don’t want any good thing for our constituency,” the MP said.
With about a month to go before the by-election, both parties are expected to campaign vigorously, making it a closely contested race.
Source:Fiilafmonline/3News
