Akwatia By-Election: One Person Arrested for Allegedly Inciting Violence

• Tensions erupted in Akwatia Constituency hours before the by-election polls opened on Tuesday, September 2, 2025
• NDC supporters allegedly clashed with a group purported to be NPP members over removal of campaign posters
• Police quickly intervened and arrested one person for allegedly inciting violence in the ongoing by-election
• Yakub Alfa Suleiman, the founder of the Journalists Network for Peace and Security (JNePS), shared his views on this in a discussion with YEN.com.gh

Tensions flared in the Akwatia Constituency after a dispute over campaign materials led to chaotic scenes a few hours before polls for the by-elections commenced on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

The incident reportedly began when supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) accused a group, purported to be members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), of illegally removing campaign posters of their parliamentary candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo.

The incident escalated outside the NDC party office in Akwatia, amid heated exchanges, drawing a large crowd to the scene.

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Consequently, the police quickly rushed to the scene and arrested one person for allegedly inciting violence.

Watch the video below:

What necessitated the Akwatia by-election?

The Akwatia by-election was occasioned by the sudden demise of the late Member of Parliament for the area, Ernest Yaw Kumi.

Ernest Kumi, who was the Akwatia MP on the ticket of the NPP, died on July 7, 2025, at the Lister Hospital in Accra, following a short illness.

Watch the video capturing the moment the police made the arrest:

The election is being keenly contested by the NDC's Bernard Bediako Baidoo, a private legal practitioner, and the NPP's Solomon Kwame Asumadu, a local small-scale miner.

Global Info Analytics has predicted a victory for Bernard Bediako in the upcoming Akwatia by-election.

According to the poll, Bediako will likely seal the win with 53% of the votes, while his closest contender, Solomon Kwame Asumadu, will trail with 47%.

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The survey, which sampled 2,050 voters across the constituency, was conducted between August 27 and 28.

Despite this projection, the NPP has expressed confidence in winning the seat.

Party leaders have dismissed the poll findings, insisting that voter sentiments on the ground favour the NPP to retain the seat.

The NPP believes it stands a better chance of winning the election than the ruling NDC administration.

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has consequently urged voters in Akwatia to vote for Solomon Kwame Asumadu.

"The only way to reward or remember our departed MP, Ernest Kumi, is for the people of Akwatia to vote massively for Solomon Kwame Asumadu. And that's why we have seen so many crowds here. That's why we have seen so many cars following the float. It's organic, it's individuals that have decided to join because they know that the good work that was started by Ernest Kumi has to be completed by Solomon Kwame Asumadu," he said.

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Police urged to secure Akwatia polls

Meanwhile, Yakub Alfa Suleiman, the founder of the Journalists Network for Peace and Security (JNePS), urged the police service to deploy heavy security to ensure a peaceful election in Akwatia.

He also expressed disappointment that there had not been a security briefing on the plans to manage the election.

“The police service must deploy heavy security to ensure a peaceful election in Akwatia tomorrow. Again, I expect a security briefing from the service on how they intend to manage tomorrow’s election, but to no avail. We pray for the best,” he said.

Kennedy blames NDC for Ernest Kumi's death

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Kennedy Agyapong blamed the NDC for the death of Akwatia MP Ernest Yaw Kumi, citing stress and pressure.

He claimed that the late MP had confided in him about the toll the parliamentary election petition case filed by the NDC had taken on him.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also linked Kumi’s passing to the NDC’s court battle over the 2024 parliamentary elections.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh