Bernard Bediako Baidoo of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won the Akwatia by-election, delivering a crucial victory for the government in one of the most keenly contested electoral battles of the year.
The Electoral Commission’s certified results showed Bediako securing 18,199 votes of the total valid votes cast. His closest rival, Kwame Asumadu of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), garnered 15,235 votes.
Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Progressive Party (LPP) trailed far behind with 82 votes. Out of the total ballots cast, 33,819 were valid, while 303 were rejected.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of Akwatia’s Member of Parliament, Ernest Kumi, earlier this year. Campaigning in the lead-up to the poll was intense, with both the NDC and NPP heavily investing resources and manpower in the constituency.