Ayawaso East goes to polls today
A total of 49,966 registered voters are expected to exercise their franchise in today’s Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election to elect a new Member of Parliament (MP).
The by-election follows the death of the sitting MP, Naser Toure Mahama, in January at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Following the balloting on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Baba Jamal, drew the top spot, while the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) candidate, Ibrahim Iddrisu, secured the second position.
Yussif Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) secured the third spot, with independent candidates, Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda and David Kannor, occupying the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
The results will determine who represents the Ayawaso East Constituency in Parliament.
EC
A Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Sam Dottoh Kwaah, told the Daily Graphic that the EC was well prepared for the by-election.
He said all categories of officials for the by-election had been recruited and trained to smoothly manage the election.
Aside from that, Mr Kwaah said two Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) for each of the 113 polling stations had been prepared and delivered to the constituency.
He said the printing of ballot papers, Statement of Poll and Declaration of Results Forms had also been printed and delivered to the Constituency on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Security
The Ghana Police Service has announced plans to deploy 80 officers to each polling station in the constituency as part of comprehensive security measures to guarantee a peaceful poll.
“Every electoral area will have about 80 police officers to protect everyone.
So everyone should come out and vote freely. We have adequate personnel who will be on standby to respond to emergency issues,” the Deputy Nima District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Asong Ayrakwa, told journalists last Wednesday.
Show of force
Ahead of the polls, the police last Saturday embarked on a show of force and route march in the constituency to demonstrate their readiness and deter acts that could disrupt the electoral process.
The exercise, which involved a deployment of officers from various units, saw personnel march through the principal streets of the constituency, signalling the readiness of the police to maintain law and order before, during and after the polls.
A statement issued by the police on Saturday, February 28, 2026, said the operation was intended to reassure residents, deter potential troublemakers, and demonstrate the Police’s capacity to respond swiftly to any security threats.
It said the show of force formed part of broader security measures designed to ensure peace and stability in the constituency as voters prepare to elect a new MP in a high-stakes by-election on March 3.
It, therefore, urged residents and other stakeholders to cooperate with security agencies to help maintain a peaceful and orderly by-election.
Campaigns
Meanwhile, political party stalwarts and contenders have intensified their campaigns to convince the electorate to vote for their candidates in today’s by-election.
Campaign vans, accompanied by music and owned by the respective candidates, are also moving through the inner communities, vigorously campaigning for their candidates.
Door-to-door and house-to-house campaigns have also been in full force, as supporters of the candidates visited homes to make a case for the individuals they represent.
NDC
Last Sunday, the NDC held a final rally as part of the party’s last push to energise supporters and maximise voter turnout in what it describes as a crucial contest.
Party officials say they are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for the by-election, noting that turnout in such polls is often low.
Expulsion of Umaru Sanda
During the rally, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, announced that the party had officially removed Umaru Sanda Mohammed from its membership roll following his decision to contest as an independent candidate.
“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. I am really pained for him,” he said.
He cautioned the NDC against internal wrangling.
NPP
The General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Frimpong Kodua, and a former General Secretary of the party, John Boadu, were also seen campaigning for their candidate in a neighbourhood known as “Gutter”.
2024
In the 2024 parliamentary elections, Alhaji Mahama secured 22, 139 votes, representing 70.85 per cent to win the seat, while the NPP candidate, Zak Rahman, garnered 9,110 votes, representing 29.15 per cent.
Alhaji Mahama garnered 23, 583 votes, representing 61.18 per cent, in the 2020 parliamentary elections as against the NPP’s Peter Kwame Antwi Mireku’s 14,966 votes, representing 38.82 per cent.
In the 2016 parliamentary polls, Alhaji Mahama secured 23,407 votes, representing 62.10 per cent, to beat NPP’s Mireku, who had 13,599, representing 36.08 per cent.
The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) candidate, Mohammed Ibrahim Bilal, polled 438 votes, representing 1.16 per cent; the Convention People’s Party (CPP) candidate, Abdul Ganiyu Shaibu, received 174 votes, and the People’s National Convention (PNC) candidate, Alhassan Abubakari, secured 72 votes.
