The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has strengthened its hold on Parliament following the emphatic win of Bernard Bediako Baidoo in the Akwatia by-election, moving the party closer to a commanding supermajority.
Mr. Baidoo, a private legal practitioner, secured 18,199 votes—around 54% of the total—defeating Solomon Kwame Asumadu of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who polled 15,235 votes. Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana trailed with just 82 votes.
The victory shifts the parliamentary balance, leaving the NPP with 87 seats while the NDC now holds 183. If the NDC claims the upcoming Tamale Central by-election, which the NPP has indicated it will not contest, the party’s seat count will rise to 184, further solidifying its supermajority.
Akwatia, a key swing constituency in the Eastern Region, had been historically competitive. The NPP maintained a narrow 5-4 parliamentary edge there since 1992. The win is therefore seen as a significant political turnaround and a strategic gain for the governing party.
The by-election followed the passing of incumbent NPP MP Ernest Yaw Kumi, who had won the seat in the 2024 general election by 2,063 votes. Mr. Baidoo’s campaign overcame stiff competition during the NDC primary in August, defeating contenders including Erasmus Koney Ali and former MP Henry Yiadom Boakye.
Political analysts suggest that this victory not only strengthens the NDC’s legislative agenda but also signals growing public confidence in the party, potentially influencing voter dynamics in upcoming by-elections and the 2028 general polls.
