Mustapha Gbande has slammed the New Patriotic Party (NPP), claiming that the party set itself up for failure in the just-ended Akwatia by-election by imposing a weak candidate on its supporters.

Gbande alleged that the NPP leadership ignored more qualified aspirants, a decision he believes contributed to their defeat. "As for the NPP from day one, they knew they were going to lose this election.

The candidate they imposed was not fit for the purpose," the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stated in an interview with Vivian Kai-Lokko on Channel One Newsroom.

Gbande further accused the ruling party of internal manipulation during the selection process. "If they had known, they wouldn't have tied the other aspirants' hands behind them," he said, suggesting that the NPP undermined its own chances by sidelining capable contenders.