NPP retains Abetifi seat

Bryan Acheampong, Parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has won the Abetifi bye-election. He polled 14,015 votes out of the total votes. Mr Acheampong's competitor was an independent parliamentary candidate (IPP) who polled 469 votes. The Convention People’s Party (CPP) candidate followed closely with 439 votes. The parliamentary candidates of the United Front Party (UFP) got the least votes of 406. The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) withdrew from the race saying it does not want to stir the memory of the constituents over the loss of the late NPP Member of Parliament (MP), Peter Wiafe Pepera.

Peter Pepera died on May 21 at the 37 Military Hospital after a short illness. The election was nearly marred by commotion following news that the Electoral Commission (EC) has allowed National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registrants to vote.

Residents fumed accusing the EC of disregarding the May 5 directive of the Supreme Court (SC) which ordered it to delete names of NHIS registrants from the electoral roll. Though the district EC officials confirmed they had the order to permit everyone to take part in the election provided they show a voters' ID card, they later said no one registered with NHIS card in the entire Abetifi Constituency.

The by-election initially recorded a low turnout, but attendance picked up resulting in the comfortable victory by the NPP candidate.