Ballots being counted as Ayawaso East by-election concludes

Voting in the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election has ended, with electoral officials now counting ballots at polling stations across the constituency.

Polling ran from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to elect a new MP following the death of Naser Toure Mahama in January. The Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to announce the results later today.

Five candidates contested the seat: Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (NDC), Baba Ali Yusif (NPP), Umar Sanda Mohammed (Independent), David Kanor (Independent) and Ibrahim Iddrisu (LPG).

Voter turnout was reported as low, but the polls were peaceful. Supporters from both NDC and NPP monitored the counting closely.

EC Director Sam Dottoh Kwaah said the Commission was well prepared. “All categories of officials for the by-election had been recruited and trained to smoothly manage the election,” he said. Each of the 113 polling stations had two Biometric Verification Devices, and all ballot papers and forms were delivered on Saturday.

Security was strong, with 80 police officers deployed to each polling station. Assistant Superintendent Asong Ayrakwa said, “Every electoral area will have about 80 police officers to protect everyone. So everyone should come out and vote freely.”

The NDC expelled Umaru Sanda Mohammed for contesting as an independent candidate. National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said, “It will take him about eight years before he can contest any position in the party… Even if, after the by-election, he decides to return, he cannot contest immediately and would have to wait until 2032.”

Ayawaso East has traditionally been an NDC stronghold. In 2024, NDC’s Alhaji Mahama secured 22,139 votes (70.85%), while the NPP candidate had 9,110 votes (29.15%). Previous elections show similar margins.

As counting continues, attention is focused on who will represent the constituency in Parliament.