Voting is in progress in the Ayawaso East Constituency as 49,966 registered voters cast their ballots across 113 polling stations to elect a new Member of Parliament.
The by-election, being conducted by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, opened at 7 a.m. and is scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Officials report a smooth start, with all necessary logistics deployed to facilitate the process.
Five candidates are contesting the seat, including Baba Jamal of the National Democratic Congress and Yussif Baba Ali representing the New Patriotic Party. Independent candidate Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda, who recently parted ways with the NDC, is also in the race alongside Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana and independent candidate David Kannor.
The poll was necessitated by the death of incumbent MP Naser Toure Mahama on January 4, 2026, following a brief illness. The late legislator, who represented the constituency on the NDC ticket, had been re-elected in the 2024 general elections and was serving his fourth term in Parliament.
Ahead of the vote, EC officials confirmed that biometric verification devices, ballot materials, and registers were fully in place, with approximately 455 officers and 130 temporary staff assigned to oversee the exercise.
Security arrangements have also been heightened, with the Greater Accra Regional Police Command deploying personnel to all polling centres to ensure a peaceful and transparent process.
Pre-election projections by Global InfoAnalytics suggested a strong lead for Baba Jamal, forecasting 75 per cent of valid votes, compared to 21 per cent for the NPP’s candidate and 3 per cent for independent contender Umaru Sanda.
A last-minute legal challenge seeking to halt the by-election was dismissed by a court on Monday, clearing the way for voting to proceed as scheduled. Counting and collation are expected to begin immediately after polls close, with results anticipated later in the evening.