Ghana’s Eastern Region of GhanaRegions.com is bracing for a political showdown as Bernard Baidoo of the NDC takes a comfortable lead against NPP’s Solomon Asumadu in the upcoming Akwatia by-election.
Akwatia By-Election results could reshape the balance of power in this swing constituency. The by-election follows the passing of sitting MP Ernest Yaw Kumi in July.
The numbers at a glance
According to GhanaRegions.com sources, the poll (fieldwork: 27–28 August, n = 2,050 registered voters in Akwatia):
Committed voters model: Baidoo 53%, Asumadu 47%.
Likely voters model: Baidoo 47%, Asumadu 42%, 11% undecided.
The topline takeaway from the release and subsequent reports is that Baidoo enters the final stretch with a narrow but consistent edge.
Why Akwatia by-election matters
Akwatia, in the Eastern Region, is a classic swing seat that has flipped between the two major parties over the past two decades. The by-election is expected to be closely watched nationally, both as a test of ground operations and as a temperature check on voter sentiment ahead of the next general election cycle. NDC has taken the MP seat four times and five times in the side of NPP.
Campaign themes shaping voter sentiment
Local reportage around the polling release points to pocketbook issues jobs, cost of living, and basic amenities as central to voter choice, while party loyalty and candidate familiarity also loom large. With around a tenth of likely voters still undecided, turn-out and get-out-the-vote efficiency could be decisive.
Akwatia by election Candidate biographies:
Biography of Bernard Bediako Baidoo (NDC)
Profession: Lawyer.
Party roles & roots: Long serving Akwatia Constituency Secretary for the NDC before winning the by-election primary on 4 August 2025.
Age: 40.
Primary result: Defeated Erasmus Koney Ali (380 votes to 366); former MP Henry Yiadom Boakye placed third (226).
Baidoo’s camp is pitching a locally rooted organiser with legal expertise, arguing he can harness discontent over economic strain and basic service gaps.
Biography of Solomon (Kwame) Asumadu (NPP)
- Profession: Businessman; CEO of Owuo Mining Company with roughly 15 years in Ghana’s mining industry.
- Party roles: Akwatia Constituency Treasurer and noted local party financier.
- Selection: Endorsed and later acclaimed by the NPP in late July after internal consultations identified him as the consensus choice to defend the seat.
- Education (reported): Amanfrom JSS → Oda SHS → All Nations University.
Asumadu’s campaign leans on name recognition (“Owuo”), private-sector credentials, and continuity messaging after the late Ernest Kumi’s tenure.
The road to 2 September
The Electoral Commission has set the by-election for 2 September 2025, with heightened national attention and security preparations anticipated. With Baidoo holding a small polling lead and undecideds still in play, both parties are expected to throw significant organisational weight behind election-day mobilization.
