Akwatia By-Election: Voting ends, ballot counting begins

Polls have closed in the Akwatia constituency, bringing an end to voting in the much-anticipated by-election.

The exercise, which began at 7:00 a.m., was largely smooth across the constituency. Officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) confirmed that all polling stations opened on time and were adequately supplied with electoral materials. More than 50,000 registered voters were expected to cast their ballots.

Security was tight throughout the day, with more than 5,500 police officers deployed to maintain peace and order. Agents of the contesting parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as well as independent observers, monitored proceedings across the 119 polling stations.

The by-election is a straight contest between the NDC’s Bernard Bediako Baidoo and the NPP’s Solomon Kwame Asumadu.

There were a few incidents during the day. Police arrested a man accused of tearing down a candidate’s posters at a polling station, an action that could have sparked disruption but was quickly contained.

Later, at the Akwatia lorry station in the Vawaso Electoral Area, a confrontation broke out between Alhaji Osman Masawudu, NPP’s Third National Vice Chairman, and an escort of NDC Vice Chairman Chief Sofo Azorka. The scuffle, which reportedly occurred in the presence of police officers, was swiftly brought under control.

With polls now closed, counting of ballots is underway at the various polling stations before results are forwarded to the constituency collation centre.

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