I’m here to protect your votes – NPP’s Jefferson Sackey tells Akua Afriyie

2024 Ablekuma Central New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Jefferson Sackey, has explained that his active involvement in the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun is due to his personal relationship with the NPP candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie.

Although the NPP’s National Executive Council has officially directed all party members to boycott the rerun, which is being held today, Friday, July 11, Mr. Sackey was seen serving as a polling agent for Nana Akua Afriyie at one of the voting centres.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Sackey clarified that his decision was not out of defiance but rather out of loyalty and support for a close ally.

“You know, aside from party, there’s also relationship. Akua Afriyie is my neighbour. I’m in Ablekuma Central; she’s in Ablekuma North. Going into these elections, it is important that I support her, boost her morale and, of course, physically be here. So it’s not really in breach of any directive the party has set,” he said.

He further emphasized the deep personal bond he shares with Nana Akua, saying her challenges during the electoral process warranted his presence and support.

“Aside from party, there’s also that personal bond. She’s a sister, a mother, a figure in this constituency. As a neighbour, when your sister is in such a crisis, you can only come in to support. That’s why I’m here as a party agent—to protect her numbers,” he added.

The rerun involves about 6,000 registered voters across 19 polling stations and seeks to resolve the electoral dispute that prevented the declaration of a winner for the Ablekuma North seat following the December 2024 general elections.

Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, representing the NPP, and Ewurabena Aubynn of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), are in a fierce contest for the seat. A recollation of votes from the remaining polling stations on Thursday revealed that the NPP candidate was narrowly in the lead with 32,512 votes, compared to the NDC candidate’s 32,464—leaving just a 48-vote margin between the two.

This razor-thin lead has intensified the stakes of the rerun, making every vote in the 19 polling stations critical to determining the final outcome.