On a quiet Tuesday morning in the Ayawaso East Constituency, anticipation hung in the air as more than 40,000 registered voters prepared to select their new Member of Parliament.
The by-election, set against the backdrop of the holy month of Ramadan, saw a sluggish beginning at polling centres across the Greater Accra Region.
By 8:00 a.m., the numbers told a clear story: at the Nima Cluster of Schools, only 162 ballots had been cast. At Nima JHS 1, just 15 voters had made their choice, while a similar scene unfolded at the Presby School polling station. In some cases, polling officers noted with a hint of humour that they had seen more journalists than voters in the early hours. At Alhaji Iddrisu House Number 2, reporters described turnout as equally low.
Party officials and observers attributed the muted start to the ongoing Ramadan fast. A Branch Youth Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) explained that many Muslim voters begin their day before dawn to observe the fast, only to return to sleep and venture out later to vote. The NDC, determined to boost participation, began mobilising supporters as the day progressed.
Despite the slow morning, electoral officers assured the public that all arrangements were in place for a peaceful and orderly exercise. Security personnel stood watch at polling centres, and the Electoral Commission reiterated its commitment to transparency and fairness throughout the process.
Five candidates are vying for the vacant seat: Baba Jamal of the NDC, Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), independent contenders Umar Sander Mohammed and David Kanor, and Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
As the day unfolded, observers kept a close eye on turnout and the conduct of the polls, aware that the outcome would shape the political landscape of Ayawaso East in the months to come.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com