- Following the NDC’s victory in the Akwatia by-election, NPP Eastern Regional Secretary Tony Osei-Adjei has acknowledged that the party failed to honor the legacy of late MP Ernest Kumi.
- Bernard Bediako of the NDC won with 18,199 votes, while the NPP’s Kwame Asumadu secured 15,235.
- Osei-Adjei reflected on Kumi’s legal battles and tireless efforts to serve his constituents, saying the party had hoped for a different outcome but respects the will of the people.
The New Patriotic Party has conceded defeat in the Akwatia by-election — but for Tony Osei-Adjei, the loss runs deeper than numbers.
Speaking after the Electoral Commission declared Bernard Bediako of the NDC the winner, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the NPP admitted that the party had let down the late Ernest Yaw Kumi, whose passing triggered the contest. Kumi, who won the seat in 2024, had spent his final months battling legal challenges and working to restore his reputation among constituents.
Osei-Adjei reflected on Kumi’s relentless efforts, saying the former MP had “run every bit of his life” trying to hold onto the seat. A Supreme Court ruling had complicated his tenure, leaving the final decision to the Koforidua court — a process that weighed heavily on him before his death in July.
In the by-election, Bediako secured 18,199 votes, while NPP’s Kwame Asumadu followed with 15,235. LPG’s Owusu Patrick trailed with just 82 votes. Out of 33,819 ballots cast, 303 were rejected.
Though disappointed, Osei-Adjei said the party accepts the outcome and respects the voice of the Akwatia electorate. The seat, long considered a swing constituency, has now tilted back to the NDC — a shift that carries both political and emotional weight for the NPP.
As the dust settles, the party says it will regroup and honor Kumi’s legacy by continuing to serve the people of Akwatia with dignity and purpose.
