The Director of Research and Elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Evans Nimako, has rejected suggestions that the party’s loss in the Akwatia by-election represents a broad rejection of its political message by the electorate.

In an interview on the Channel One Newsroom on Wednesday September 3, Nimako responded to what he described as an oversimplified interpretation of the results, stressing that the outcome must be viewed in proper context.

“I think that we need to get it right. The figures as declared by the EC were that the NDC candidate obtained 18,199. The NPP candidate obtained 15,235 — a difference of 2,964,” Nimako explained.

“We had won this constituency in just December by over 2,000 votes, so it can’t be right to put it the way you have.”

According to Nimako, the defeat was not rooted in voter rejection of NPP’s policies or direction, but rather influenced by external factors during the by-election campaign.

“We saw the inducements in the constituency, abuse of incumbency — we saw all those ones,” he said, pointing to alleged vote buying and misuse of state resources by the ruling NDC.

The by-election in Akwatia was necessitated by the passing of the sitting MP, Ernest Kumi. The NDC’s candidate, Bernard Bediako, secured victory, taking a seat that the NPP had captured in the 2024 general elections.

While the result has sparked discussion within political circles and among party supporters about its broader implications, especially ahead of the 2028 general elections, Nimako maintained that it should not be mischaracterised as a referendum on the NPP’s appeal or governance record.

The party is expected to conduct a post-election review to assess its performance and strategise for future contests.