NDC: NPP “Running Scared” from Tamale Central Showdown; NDC will Contest Akwatia

NDC: NPP “Running Scared” from Tamale Central Showdown; NDC will Contest Akwatia

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has slammed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision to bow out of the Tamale Central Parliamentary by-election, branding it a calculated escape from certain defeat disguised as a gesture of goodwill.

In a strongly worded statement, NDC Deputy National Communication Officer Godwin Ako Gunn said the NPP’s withdrawal was “the best decision they have taken in recent times” but insisted it was “a ploy to run from defeat and to gain sympathies ahead of the Akwatia elections.”

The NDC, Gunn declared, will fully contest the Akwatia by-election set for September 2, 2025, following the sudden death of Ernest Yaw Kumi. He reminded the public that the Akwatia seat had been in court until Kumi’s demise and warned Ghanaians to be “careful of the NPP when they say they are not contesting,” citing the Ablekuma North rerun where the NPP declared non-participation but “were the first to hit the grounds.”

“This is not the first time that a political party has refused to contest in a by-election,” Gunn noted, pointing to the NDC’s own decision to step aside during the Ejisu by-election after the death of John Kumah. But he argued that the dynamics in Tamale Central were different, as it has been an NDC stronghold for years, making an NPP victory highly unlikely.

The NPP, in a statement earlier in the day, said its decision was motivated by the need to avoid political tensions and to honour the memory of the late Murtala Mohammed, who perished in the August 6 military helicopter crash.

While Gunn extended condolences to the families of both Kumi and the “gallant eight” soldiers killed in the crash, he urged NDC members to remain circumspect in their public remarks during this period of national mourning.

Political analysts say the NPP’s move could be interpreted both as an act of statesmanship and as a tactical retreat, with the real test of strength now expected in the high-stakes Akwatia contest.