Legal practitioner Bernard Bediako Baidoo has won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary held on Monday, August 4.

The party's legal team member polled 380 votes to beat his close contender, Erasmus Ali Korney, who secured 366 votes.

He defeated former MP Henry Yiadom Boakye, whom he previously represented as legal counsel in court, as Mr Yiadom garnered 232 votes.

The NDC primary was tightly contested among three aspirants: Henry Yiadom Boakye, the incumbent MP until defeat in December 2024; Bernard Bediako Baidoo, a constituency executive and lawyer; and Erasmus Koney Ali, an entrepreneur and newcomer.

The lawyer was declared the winner by the regional Electoral Commission boss, Appiah Baffoe.

The outcome signals a new chapter for the NDC in Akwatia.

The election was necessitated by the sudden demise of sitting MP Ernest Yaw Kumi in July 2025.

The highly competitive seat in the 2024 election saw the NPP winning it with a narrow margin, so the primary was seen as critical in shaping the NDC’s bid to win the seat from the NPP September by-election.