Heavyweights Circle NDC MP IN bitter 2028 Showdown
By Gifty Boateng
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is intensifying its political machinery to wrestle the Akwatia parliamentary seat from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2028 general election. A wave of prospective candidates has officially declared their intentions to challenge the first-term incumbent, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, setting the stage for a fierce political battle in the Eastern Region constituency.
The renewed offensive by the opposition party follows a highly combative weekend clash between Baidoo and the NPP’s Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, on the Newsfile programme. The two traded scathing insults during discussions on illegal mining (galamsey) and the NPP’s demand for the removal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
During the heated exchange, Baidoo reportedly accused Aboagye of being a thief, alleging that his assets had been confiscated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in connection with a GHs55 million corruption-related investigation dating back to his tenure as Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD).
Aboagye, known for his combative style, fired back, describing the Akwatia MP as an “empty lawyer” and a “thief.” He also referenced past allegations involving the MP and a pastor over money allegedly owed a matter Baidoo has previously denied, challenging the accuser to pursue the matter in court.
“You are an empty lawyer and a thief, you cannot do anything to me. Let this be your first and last. When the pastor said you have stolen his money, was anyone arrested? Don’t ever try me again,” Aboagye was quoted as saying by the NPP-linked social media account, NPP Daily Updates.
The public confrontation appears to have further energized the NPP’s base. Over the weekend, party figures gathered at a Thanksgiving Service and Mini Conference/Rally in Akwatia to openly declare their intentions to contest the seat.
Among them was Solomon Kwame Asumadu, the party’s candidate in the 2025 by-election, who indicated his readiness to contest again once the party formally opens the process. Asumadu stated he was prepared to enter the race as soon as the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, opened the nomination portal.
However, his speech drew attention after he mistakenly mentioned Eastern Regional NPP Chairman Jeff Konadu instead of the General Secretary a slip captured on video that has since sparked conversations on social media.
Another prominent figure, private legal practitioner and NPP Communications Team member Bernard Owiredu Donkor, also announced his intention to contest. Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the rally on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Owiredu Donkor directly challenged the incumbent, describing Baidoo as his junior in the legal profession and suggesting he should step aside.
According to him, the two could subsequently work together to promote the development of Akwatia, but insisted that, as his senior in the profession, Baidoo understood the need to show respect and give way.
“I have already confirmed my interest. When you look at the 2028 election that we are going into, we are not going to experiment. We experimented in the by-election but that did not work. Now we need a candidate who will capture the seat for us and become our representative in Parliament,” Owiredu Donkor said.
He disclosed that he would formally register his interest through the party’s online expression-of-interest portal, which opened on November 1. The deadline for prospective parliamentary candidates to submit their applications is November 10, 2026. While he supported Asumadu during the 2025 by-election, Owiredu Donkor believes the party needs a different approach to reclaim the seat.
The Akwatia parliamentary seat became vacant following the death of NPP MP Ernest Yaw Kumi in July 2025. The NDC’s Bernard Bediako Baidoo subsequently won the September 2 by-election, polling 18,199 votes against Asumadu’s 15,235.
As the NPP’s parliamentary primary approaches, the series of declarations by party figures has heightened political interest in the constituency.
Meanwhile, the developments have prompted calls from NDC grassroots supporters for the governing party to strengthen its presence in Akwatia and invest more resources in the constituency to protect the seat and support its first-term MP. The months ahead will determine whether the NPP’s aggressive push will unseat the NDC’s newest legislator, or if the governing party can consolidate its surprising by-election victory.