New Juaben South Member of Parliament, Michael Okyere Baafi, has apologised to Ghanaians for his controversial declaration that he would resign if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the Akwatia by-election.
Admitting his vow was a step too far, Baafi said the comment was intended to energise his campaign team rather than serve as a binding commitment.
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“I apologise to Ghanaians for that. Looking at the work we had done, there was no way we could have lost the election,” he explained.
While retracting the statement, the MP alleged that the NPP’s defeat was the result of widespread inducements by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). He claimed the NDC distributed cash, hair dryers, spraying machines, and other items to voters, with some individuals allegedly receiving between ₵500 and ₵1,000 on polling day.
Okyere Baafi cautioned that such practices threaten Ghana’s democratic integrity.
“If this is how our election is going to be, then I will not contest as MP in the next election,” he warned.
The Akwatia by-election delivered a major win for the NDC, with Bernard Bediako Baidoo securing 18,199 votes against the NPP’s Kwame Asumadu, who polled 15,235. Owusu Patrick of the LPG finished with 82 votes. Out of 34,122 ballots cast, 33,819 were valid and 303 rejected, according to the Electoral Commission.
The victory bolsters the NDC’s standing in one of Ghana’s most fiercely contested constituencies.