The National Youth Organiser of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has downplayed the significance of an opinion poll that predicts a National Democratic Congress (NDC) victory in the upcoming Akwatia by-election.
He insisted the NPP remains confident and firmly on course to secure victory despite the projections. Global Info Analytics released its latest survey ahead of the constituency poll, projecting a win for the NDC’s Bernard Bediako.
The report placed the NDC’s candidate in the lead with 53 percent support, ahead of the NPP’s Solomon K. Asumadu, who garnered 47 percent. The survey sampled 2,050 voters across Akwatia and suggested that the governing party was entering the contest in a stronger position.
Salam Mustapha strongly rejected the credibility of the poll, describing it as inconsequential to the party’s strategy on the ground.
“Not at all, there is no panic among our ranks because of the poll putting NDC ahead,” Mustapha said, maintaining that the New Patriotic Party was not rattled by the numbers put forward by Global Info Analytics.
He went further to suggest that the credibility of the survey could be questioned, making light of its author. “Mussa Dankwah can do his polls for all we care. We didn’t come here to have a picnic. We are working.”
Mustapha argued that the NPP’s candidate for the constituency, Solomon Asumadu, was better positioned in terms of community support and had built stronger grassroots acceptance than the opposition’s contender.
He suggested that the supposed popularity of Bernard Bediako was overstated and not reflected in the actual sentiments of the people of Akwatia.
Criticism of NDC Candidate
The NPP Youth Organiser went further to criticise Bernard Bediako, describing him as alienated from his own community. According to Mustapha, the NDC candidate’s reputation among his people was less than favourable.
“Our candidate is more lit up. As I am speaking to you we are in the hometown of the NDC candidate and come and see the people here and their response. This guy doesn’t even talk to his own father. His own community people say he is snubbish. He is disrespectful, so they are ready to vote for the NPP”
Salam Mustapha, National Youth Organiser
He questioned Bediako’s personal relations within the constituency, using it as a basis to argue that his candidacy lacked credibility.
By highlighting these claims, Mustapha sought to discredit the projected lead of the NDC in the by-election, stressing instead that the NPP was gaining strength where it mattered most – in the communities themselves.
Salam Mustapha reiterated that the NPP remains focused on securing victory in Akwatia. He explained that the party’s campaign strategy was not built on reacting to opinion polls but rather on engaging voters directly. For him, the essence of the by-election was the work being done on the ground.
Confident of Victory
The National Youth Organiser’s remarks are the clearest indication yet that the party will not allow the poll results to shape its outlook. Instead, the NPP is presenting its own candidate as a stronger, more relatable option to the electorate than the NDC’s Bernard Bediako.
Global Info Analytics’ findings have nevertheless injected further intensity into the political atmosphere surrounding the by-election. While the survey suggests the NDC enjoys an advantage, the NPP maintains that the reality on the ground tells a different story.
As the parties prepare to face off on September 2nd 2025, the clash between statistical projections and political confidence underscores the stakes of the Akwatia by-election. Salam Mustapha’s outright rejection of the poll results reflects the NPP’s determination to contest the constituency with full conviction.
In this tense atmosphere, Akwatia is shaping up to be a major test of strength between Ghana’s two dominant parties. Whether the poll’s forecast holds or the NPP’s optimism prevails will only be known once the people cast their votes.
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