The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Baba Jamal, has been retained as the party's parliamentary candidate for the Akwatia Constituency of the Eastern Region. Baba Jamal obtained 176 votes as against his challenger, Kwadwo Obeng Darko, who had only five. Darko was not even at the meeting that elected Jamal, after word went round earlier in the day that he had pulled out of the race. Party officials said his purported withdrawal was not officially communicated to the party hence their decision to maintain him on the ballot paper. Events leading to the ballot had received massive publicity, after NDC founder and Ex-President Jerry Rawlings was alleged to have subtly endorsed Darko's candidature when he told cadres and party executives to elect a winnable candidate because the party had previously contested and lost on two occasions to the New Patriotic Party. On both occasions, Baba Jamal was the candidate. However, Special Aide to ex-President Rawlings, Victor Smith, explained that all that Rawlings demanded of the people was to go for the best candidate.