Bernard Bediako Baidoo, a practicing attorney and constituency secretary for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has won the party’s parliamentary primary in the Akwatia Constituency, positioning him for a high-stakes by-election scheduled for September.
Mr. Baidoo secured 380 votes out of 980 valid ballots cast, edging out two contenders, including his own client and former Member of Parliament, Henry Boakye Yiadom—widely known by the moniker Okoyo—who received 226 votes. A third candidate, Rasmus Koneh Ali, popularly known as Asanka Poyooyo, garnered 366 votes, narrowly missing the top spot by just 14 ballots.
The results were officially announced by John Appiah Baffoe, Eastern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, following the close of polls.
Baidoo’s nomination sets up a contest with the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) candidate, Solomon Asumadu, in what is expected to be a closely watched by-election on September 2.
The Akwatia race has historically swung between the two major parties, and Baidoo’s victory marks a strategic shift for the NDC, which hopes to regain its footing in the Eastern Region.
