Michael Okyere Baafi, the newly elected member of parliament for Juaben South, has declared that he will not run for reelection in 2028, citing the concerning political climate in Ghana as his primary justification.
“If this is how our politics is turning, then the world is becoming scarier. That’s why some of us, and I, have said that after this term, I won’t seek re-election in 2028,” the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP declared.
Recalling his frustrations from the previous election, Baafi charged that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) was using desperate measures to influence voters in his district.
“When my people were being discouraged because, three days before the election, the NDC started constructing roads in the area. They brought a truckload of spray machines, hair dryers, and fertilisers.
“I had no option but to encourage my people that we were winning this election, and that’s why I made the statement that if we lost, I would resign. I, however, apologise to Ghanaians for my resignation comment; I went too far,” he explained.
The MP also alleged that the NDC resorted to vote-buying, a move he says tilted the results.
“Considering the work that we did, the strengths of the candidates involved, and the massive crowd that followed us, I was confident that we were going to win the election.
On election day, however, they devised a scheme only to purchase votes. Thus, they were purchasing votes by giving each voter between GH¢500 and GH¢1,000, according to Baafi.
