Richard Ahiagbah, Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has blamed the party’s loss in the Akwatia by-election on what he described as “coerced messaging” by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey after the September 2, 2025, polls, Ahiagbah alleged that the NDC conditioned voters into believing that development in Akwatia would only come if they voted for the governing party.
He argued that such tactics undermined free choice, noting that some residents were discouraged from voting, while others cast their ballots out of fear of being denied development projects.
According to him, remarks by senior NDC officials, including references to road construction and mining concessions, signaled to voters that the constituency risked losing opportunities if it backed the NPP.
He also cited low voter turnout as another factor that compounded the NPP’s defeat.
“Additionally, what contributed to our loss is the kind of messaging the NDC deployed in Akwatia. You heard the national chairman, telling in coded language, telling people that galamsey, if they must do it, it will be if they vote for the National Democratic Congress. And that president, Mahama is the president, that everything, including everything, will come from him. And that our candidate, who is a miner, even his concession can be taken away from him. Sending a message that if you want to protect galamsey you vote for NDC.
You saw our senior brother, Collins Dauda, talk about the idea that road construction, if Akwatia wants development, they should vote for the NDC candidate, which is coded in saying that unless you vote for the NDC, you’re not going to get development. But that goes clearly against the Constitution,” Ahiagbah stressed, adding that the “discriminatory” narrative swayed the outcome in favor of the NDC.
Meanwhile, prior to the polls, Global Info Analytics had projected an NDC win with 53% of the votes.
The Electoral Commission’s certified results confirmed this prediction, declaring Bernard Baidoo Bediako of the NDC winner with 18,199 votes (54.3%) against the NPP’s Solomon Kwame Asumadu, who secured 15,235 (45.46%).
Patrick Owusu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) managed only 82 votes. In total, 33,819 valid ballots were counted, with 303 rejected.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
