Voting ends in Ayawaso East by-election, counting underway

Voting in the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election has officially ended, with ballot sorting and counting currently underway at polling stations across the constituency.

The exercise began at 7:00 a.m. and closed at 5:00 p.m., bringing to an end a crucial contest to elect a new Member of Parliament following the death of the area’s MP, Naser Toure. The Electoral Commission of Ghana is expected to declare the results later today.

Five candidates are contesting the seat. They are Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed of the National Democratic Congress, Baba Ali Yusif of the New Patriotic Party, independent candidates Umar Sanda Mohammed and David Kanor, and Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana.

The voting process was largely peaceful, with no reports of major disturbances. However, turnout was observed to be relatively low in several polling centres. A visible police presence was maintained throughout the day to ensure security, while party agents and supporters monitored proceedings closely, particularly during the counting of ballots.

Both the NDC and NPP candidates expressed confidence in their chances ahead of the close of polls, with supporters of the two major political parties optimistic about victory in what has attracted considerable political attention.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, has defended the credibility of his outfit’s latest survey on the contest, insisting the findings are based on sound scientific methods.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, March 2, Mr Dankwah said the survey, commissioned by the NDC’s Baba Jamal, sampled 976 voters in the constituency.

“With a sample size of 976 voters, the poll has a 95% confidence level,” he explained. “This means we are 95% confident that the outcome we are projecting will reflect what happens on Tuesday.”

According to him, the poll projects Baba Jamal securing 75 percent of the vote.

“Our data shows Baba Jamal winning with 75%,” he stated.

The Ayawaso East race has been widely described by political observers as a key battleground, with the outcome expected to test party structures and grassroots mobilisation within the constituency.

While acknowledging that factors such as voter turnout, party coordination and last-minute developments could influence the final results, Mr Dankwah maintained that the projected lead is significant.

“This is not a small margin. This is a strong vote,” he stressed.

All eyes are now on the Electoral Commission as counting continues and the constituency awaits the official declaration of results.