Nana Akua Afriyie, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, says she has rendered an unqualified apology to the leadership of the party for defying its directive not to participate in the recent parliamentary rerun.
Speaking after an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Alisa Hotel, Afriyie confirmed that the issue was addressed internally, but declined to say whether she regretted her decision to go against the party’s orders.
Former MP for Bekwai and chair of the NPP’s planning committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, confirmed that Afriyie’s apology was accepted in good faith.
“The apology was taken in good faith. It was just to ensure that we respect the structures of the party in the future,” he said.
However, he admitted that her defiance created public confusion and damaged the party’s image during a critical electoral moment.
Her decision to run independently against the party’s wishes is believed to have contributed to the NPP’s unexpected loss.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Ewurabena Aubynn won the Ablekuma North seat with 34,090 votes, narrowly defeating Afriyie, who garnered 33,881.
“A win was expected because we worked so hard,” Aubynn told journalists. T
his marks the first time the NDC has captured the seat in the Fourth Republic, ending the NPP’s decades-long hold.
The rerun followed a court-ordered resolution of disputed 2024 election results, after violence at the collation centre halted counting from 19 polling stations, leading to months of delay and eventual rerun under heightened security.
