NPP Confident of Victory in Ayawaso East By-Election – Justin Kodua
By Adwoa Nyarko Asiamah| 7 January 2026
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has announced that the party will contest the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election and is confident of securing victory.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews Desk on Wednesday, January 7, Mr Kodua disclosed that the party has already begun processes to identify a suitable and widely accepted candidate to contest the seat.
“Why shouldn’t we contest?” he asked. “The New Patriotic Party will contest the Ayawaso East by-election, and as I speak, we are conducting our own candidate search to get a very good and well-accepted person to represent us.”
Mr Kodua first extended his condolences to the family of the late Member of Parliament and to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“First and foremost, let me express my deepest condolences to the family of the late MP and to the NDC as a party,” he said.
He, however, expressed surprise at comments attributed to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ayawaso East, who reportedly appealed to the NPP not to field a candidate as a mark of respect for the deceased MP.
“I was very surprised and shocked that such a statement could be made. This is not the first time by-elections have been held in this country,” Mr Kodua noted.
Citing previous by-elections, he defended the party’s decision to contest the seat.
“When the NPP decided not to contest the Tamale Central by-election, the NDC went ahead to contest in Akwatia. So whatever influenced their decision to contest Akwatia equally influences our decision to contest the Ayawaso East by-election,” he explained.
Mr Kodua also dismissed claims that the NPP’s decision should be affected by perceptions of Ayawaso East as an NDC stronghold.
“It is not about whether the constituency is an NDC stronghold or not. We are contesting, and we are determined to win the seat,” he stressed.
On the issue of timelines, Mr Kodua assured that the party would be ready before the Electoral Commission (EC) opens nominations.
“With matters of death, the Electoral Commission has about 60 days to organise a by-election. I can confidently say that before nominations are opened, the NPP will have its candidate ready for the Ayawaso East by-election,” he added.
The Ayawaso East parliamentary seat became vacant following the death of its Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama, on Sunday, January 4, 2026, after a short illness. He was a four-term MP who represented the constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In accordance with Ghana’s Constitution, a by-election must be held to fill a parliamentary vacancy arising from the death of an MP or a court declaration, necessitating the forthcoming poll.
During the 2024 general elections, the late MP won the Ayawaso East parliamentary seat with 22,139 votes, representing 70.85 per cent of the total valid votes cast. The NPP candidate, Zak Rahman, secured 9,110 votes, equivalent to 29.15 per cent. The constituency has a registered voter population of 49,966.
