New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker Michael Okyere Baafi, has apologised for declaring he would resign if his party lost the Akwatia by-election, saying the outcome was shaped by widespread vote buying. Baafi, who represents New Juaben South, said he made the remark to motivate his campaign team but admitted it was “a step too far.”
“I apologise to Ghanaians for that. Looking at the work we had done, there was no way we could have lost the election,” he said in an interview on Atumpan on AsaasePa 107.3MHz, Tuesday.
Alleged Vote-buying
The by-election was won by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which Baafi accused of distributing cash and goods, including hair dryers and spraying machines, to sway voters. He alleged that payments of between 500 and 1,000 cedis were made to individuals on polling day. Baafi warned that the growing trend of monetising elections was dangerous for Ghana’s democracy. “If this is how our election is going to be, then I will not contest as MP in the next election,” he said. The NDC has not immediately responded to his allegations.
Background
Bernard Bediako Baidoo of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the Akwatia parliamentary by-election, securing a key victory for the government in one of the country’s most competitive constituencies. Official results from the Electoral Commission (EC) showed Bediako polling 18,199 votes, defeating his closest rival Kwame Asumadu of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), who received 15,235. Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) garnered 82 votes.
Out of 34,122 ballots cast, 33,819 were declared valid while 303 were rejected, officials said. Voting took place across 119 polling stations, with polls closing at 5 p.m. before sorting and counting in the presence of party agents, security personnel and independent observers.
Source: Jonathan Ofori
