A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has urged the party to examine its choice of candidate in the Akwatia by-election, questioning why former MP Ama Sey was overlooked.

The by-election, held on 2 September 2025 following the death of sitting MP Ernest Kumi, was won by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, who secured 18,199 votes.

The NPP’s Solomon Kwame Asumadu polled 15,235 votes, while Owusu Patrick of the Liberal Progressive Party (LPP) obtained 82. Out of the ballots cast, 33,819 were valid and 303 rejected.

Appearing on Channel One TV the following day, Dr Boakye-Danquah said the NPP needed to conduct a “postmortem” into the loss, stressing that only “an honest introspection” would enable the party to understand what went wrong.

He raised concerns about the selection process, referencing the constituency’s previous internal contests.

“Could we have looked at the 2016 primaries, where Ama Sey and others contested? Could we have considered the 2020 primaries when Ernest Kumi narrowly beat Ama Sey by about four votes?

"Or the 2024 primaries that sent Ernest Kumi to Parliament? Why did the party not field Ama Sey, but rather a constituency treasurer, as the candidate?” he asked.

Dr Boakye-Danquah insisted that a candid assessment of such questions was vital if the NPP is to reposition itself effectively ahead of the 2028 general elections.