Michael Okyere Baafi, Member of Parliament for New Juaben, has declared his intention to resign if his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), loses the Akwatia by-election scheduled for September 2.
Speaking confidently to a GhOne reporter at the Akwatia Constituency, Okyere Baafi expressed firm belief that the NPP candidate will secure a victory, albeit by a narrow margin.
Okyere Baafi stated, “NPP will take the seat. The margin will be very slim. I believe we will win the election, but the margin will not be too wide. But we will win. We will win, I’m telling you.”
When pressed about the source of his confidence, the MP attributed it to the extensive campaign efforts undertaken by his party.
“Because of the work we have done. We have engaged, we have campaigned. We have prosecuted a campaign that has not happened in the history of this constituency before. We have done whatever we have to do. We have done everything. Everything we need to do, we’ve done it. We’ve engaged so well and people have given us assurance,” he said.
Okyere Baafi praised the late Ernest Kumi as a promising young leader whose dreams were cut short and noted that their new candidate, Solomon Asumadu, enjoys strong community goodwill through his generosity.
“This young man(Ernest Kumi) who had so much bright future, but he couldn’t achieve his aims. So the people want to at least give us the opportunity again to continue. And the fact that this guy, our candidate(Asumadu), has a very strong goodwill in town. I mean, he’s somebody who has done so well for the people. He’s so generous. He has paid people’s school fees. He has sponsored a lot of people’s education and business. So this gives him advantage over his competitors. So I believe that we have a foresight. We have a foresight in this election,” Okyere Baafi explained.
Reiterating his bold stance, the MP emphasized that a loss by the NPP in the by-election would prompt his resignation from Parliament.
“And confidently, I’m telling you, mark my words. I can even tell you that if we lose this election, I’ll resign as a member of parliament. I’m telling you, we’ll win this election. We’ll win. If we lose this election, I’ll resign as a member of parliament. I’m telling you, we’ll win.”
He concluded with a hopeful message, placing faith in the work done and the divine support underpinning their efforts.
“By close of date Tuesday, you’ll see that we have won the elections. And that’s what I believe, the work we have done and the God we serve. The God we serve is a good God and he has given us hope that we’ll win the elections.”
The Akwatia by-election, set for September 2, 2025, is being contested primarily between two main candidates: Bernard Bediako Baidoo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Solomon Asumadu of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
This by-election was called following the passing of the previous NPP MP, Ernest Kumi.
Recent opinion polls indicate a tight race. A Global Info Analytics poll shows Bernard Baidoo of the NDC with 53% voter support and Solomon Asumadu of the NPP trailing with 47%.
Another survey by Sanity Africa aligns with this, reporting Baidoo leading with 52.3% against Asumadu’s 47.7%. The contest reflects an almost even split, with Baidoo currently holding a slight edge as the election approaches.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
