New Juaben South MP, Michael Okyere Baafi of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has apologised for his controversial statement that he would resign if his party failed to win the Akwatia by-election.
During the one-week observance of the late Akwatia MP Ernest Kumi, Mr. Okyere Baafi sharply criticised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for failing to deliver on its 2024 campaign promises and boldly declared, “If the NPP loses this Akwatia by-election, I will resign as MP. Mark my words!”
However, speaking in an interview on Accra-based AsaasePa FM, the former Deputy Trade Minister admitted that the comment was made in the heat of the campaign to energise his supporters, but conceded it was “a step too far.”
“I want to apologise to Ghanaians. I only said it to ginger my people, but on reflection, it wasn’t the best. With the kind of work we put in, I didn’t think we could lose,” he explained.
Mr. Baafi attributed the NPP’s defeat to what he described as widespread vote buying, alleging that the NDC distributed cash and items such as hair dryers and spraying machines to sway voters. He claimed amounts ranging from GH₵500 to GH₵1,000 were handed out on polling day.
He further cautioned that the growing monetisation of Ghana’s elections poses a serious threat to democracy.
“If this is the path our politics will continue to take, then I won’t put myself forward as MP again,” he warned.
The Akwatia seat became vacant following the death of Ernest Kumi on July 7, 2025, after a short illness.
Certified results from the Electoral Commission (EC) showed that Bernard Bediako Baidoo of the NDC secured 18,199 votes to defeat the NPP’s Kwame Asumadu, who polled 15,235. Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) finished a distant third with 82 votes.
In all, 34,122 ballots were cast, of which 33,819 were declared valid and 303 rejected. Voting was conducted across 119 polling stations, closing at 5 p.m. before sorting and counting in the presence of party agents, security personnel, and independent observers.
Source: Adomonline
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