Former Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Baba Jamal, has suggested that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should have maintained its 2024 parliamentary candidate, Henry Boakye Yiadom, for the upcoming September 2 by-election instead of conducting fresh primaries.
Speaking on Citi FM/Channel One TV’s Akwatia Watch, Baba Jamal explained that retaining Henry Boakye Yiadom, who contested in the December 2024 elections, would have been a stronger option and spared the party from the divisions that often arise from competitive primaries.
According to him, the decision to hold new primaries was unnecessary, but as a democratic party, the majority’s decision had to be respected.
“I was not in support of any primaries. I was not in support. I thought that we should have maintained the status quo and go ahead and allowed the old candidate to continue. Other people thought otherwise, and we are in a democracy, so the majority of the people will always carry the day.
“Now it is for us as NDC to work hard to confirm and consolidate the unity among our supporters. I don’t think we are doing badly in that direction. The two other candidates, Asanka and Okoyo, have always appeared on all our platforms with our new candidate,” he said.
Three aspirants contested the NDC primaries in Akwatia: Henry Boakye Yiadom (popularly known as Okoyo), who was the party’s parliamentary candidate in the 2024 general elections; Bernard Bediako Baidoo Esq., the Akwatia Constituency Secretary; and Erasmus Koney Ali, widely known as Asanka Poyooyo.
In the end, Bernard Bediako Baidoo emerged victorious and will represent the NDC in the September 2 by-election.
