Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Ablekuma North Constituency, has offered an unreserved apology to the party’s National Council after defying a directive to boycott the recent parliamentary rerun in 19 polling stations.
The apology came in the wake of a National Council meeting held on Monday, July 14, to discuss final preparations for the party’s upcoming annual delegates conference. Addressing the media, Akua Afriyie acknowledged that her decision to contest the rerun was a misstep and reaffirmed her loyalty to the NPP.
“All boils down to an apology, because that is my party and I will keep being NPP. We all make mistakes. If the party says you shouldn’t run, whatever it is, the matter has been resolved, an apology given, and we move on,” she stated.
Her participation in the rerun, held on Friday, July 11, directly contradicted an official directive issued by the party, which had publicly rejected the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to organize a second round of voting. The NPP had maintained that Akua Afriyie was the rightful winner of the December 2024 parliamentary election and had vowed not to legitimize what it described as a flawed and unnecessary rerun.
At a press briefing on July 8, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong sharply criticized the EC, accusing the body of “disregarding the will of the people” by calling for another vote. He insisted that all results from the December election had been verified by polling agents and EC officials, leaving no grounds for a rerun.
The EC, however, defended its decision, citing irregularities in the collation process. It pointed specifically to the absence of presiding officer signatures on scanned pink sheets from the 19 polling stations, which rendered those results invalid under electoral regulations.
Despite her party’s position, Akua Afriyie proceeded to contest the rerun—but narrowly lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, who secured 34,090 votes to Afriyie’s 33,881. The outcome marked a significant upset, handing the NDC a historic victory in what had long been considered an NPP stronghold.
Akua Afriyie’s public expression of remorse signals an attempt to mend ties with the party hierarchy following the high-stakes loss and internal controversy. While the incident has stirred debate within the NPP, the leadership now appears focused on maintaining unity ahead of the 2025 delegates conference and the broader task of rebuilding support ahead of the 2028 general elections.
