Akwatia: The Akwatia Constituency in the Eastern Region is preparing for a closely watched parliamentary by-election on Tuesday, following the passing of Mr. Ernest Yaw Kumi from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Approximately 52,000 registered voters will head to the polls at 119 stations, as the constituency garners national attention for its status as a political swing seat.

According to Ghana News Agency, the NPP has nominated Mr. Solomon Kwame Asumadu, a small-scale miner and All Nations University graduate, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has put forward Mr. Bernard Bediako Baidoo, a lawyer and current constituency secretary. Both candidates are 40 years old.

As official campaigns concluded on Monday, both parties intensified their door-to-door canvassing efforts to sway undecided voters and mobilize their support bases for a significant turnout. Security measures have been heightened with the deployment of 5,500 police officers to ensure law and order in the constituency.

Vehicle searches
have been initiated at the Asamankese Police Barrier, scrutinizing all vehicles on the Asamankese-Akwatia road to prevent disturbances. Historically, the Akwatia Constituency has alternated between the NPP and NDC since 1992, making it one of Ghana’s most contested swing constituencies. Currently, the NPP leads with five victories to the NDC’s four.

The constituency has experienced a series of political shifts, beginning with the NDC’s Gilbert Kwasi Agyei in 1992, followed by Alhaji Mohammed Erzuah Siam in 1996. The NPP broke this pattern in 2000 with Kinston Akomeng Kissi, who retained the seat in 2004. In 2008, Kofi Asare of the NPP won in a contentious election requiring a rerun at six polling stations. The NDC reclaimed the seat with Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed in 2012, only to lose it again to the NPP’s Mercy Adu-Gyamfi in 2016. The seat changed hands in 2020 with Henry Yiadom Boakye of the NDC, before the NPP’s Ernest Kumi regained it in 2024.

Opinion polls by Global Info Analytics have indicated Mr. Ba
idoo of the NDC as the frontrunner, though the NPP has dismissed these findings, citing grassroots support and sympathy for the late Mr. Kumi as factors that will secure their victory. The by-election is seen as a crucial test of both parties’ electoral strength, less than a year after the 2024 general election, and could offer an early insight into the political momentum leading into 2028.