The Akwatia by-election, descended into chaos yesterday after a bitter confrontation between the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Vice Chairman, Chief Sofo Azorka, who allegedly threatened to kill him.

The explosive clash erupted on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, when Afenyo-Markin, paid an unannounced visit to the NDC’s party office in Akwatia, a move party executives branded as, “provocative” and “disrespectful.”

Tempers flared, as Azorka, accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of employing intimidation tactics to cow NDC supporters.

A visibly enraged Azorka fumed: “What does he want here? Is he NDC secretary? You people should talk to them. If he tries anything, there will be a by-election in his own constituency.”

Afenyo-Markin hit back, accusing Azorka of issuing criminal threats.

“I have heard that Chief Sofo Azorka said he wants to kill me. We know them, the infamous Azorka Boys; all they do is beat people up and kill others. This is not his first time threatening people. But I am not a coward,” the Minority Leader declared.

He urged NPP supporters to stand firm, stressing that no amount of intimidation would derail their campaign.

“Nobody should let Azorka’s words instil fear. We do not do politics with fear; it is about courage. Our forebearers endured prison for politics. Do not let anyone frighten you,” he charged.

NDC activists alleged that Afenyo-Markin’s entourage stormed the party office to remove posters of their candidate, further inflaming tempers in an already volatile constituency.

Azorka, renowned for his fiery rhetoric, warned that the NDC would resist any “undemocratic experiments” by the ruling party.

He declared: “A by-election will be held in his [Afenyo-Markin’s] constituency if he tries anything.”

Police later confirmed that one person had been arrested in connection with the incident.

The Akwatia by-election, triggered by the death of sitting MP Ernest Yaw Kumi, is being contested across 119 polling stations in the constituency.

At the end of the polls in the Akwatia by-election, NDC candidate Bernard Bediako Baidoo won with 18,199 votes against the NPP Solomon Asumadu’s 15,235 votes.

The third candidate in the race, the Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG) Patrick Owusu, got 82 votes.

This now reduces the NPP’s seats in Parliament to 87, with the NDC currently holding 183. If the NDC proceeds to win the Tamale Central by-election, which the NPP has stated it will not contest, the NDC’s majority in Parliament will increase to 184 seats.

There are four independent MPs currently in the 275-member House.

According to the results from the 119 polling stations in Akwatia, declared by the Returning Officer of the EC, a total of 303 votes were rejected, with 33,819 votes cast.

The only official from the NPP present at the collation centre when the EC declared the results was the Eastern Regional Secretary of the party.

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