Voting ends in Akwatia by-election as counting begins

Polls have officially closed in the Akwatia constituency, marking the end of voting in the closely watched by-election.

Sorting and counting of ballots are now underway at polling stations across the area.

Voting began at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday and proceeded without major disruptions. Electoral Commission officials confirmed that all polling stations opened on schedule and received the full set of required materials.

More than 50,000 registered voters were expected to cast their ballots. Security was a top priority, with over 5,500 police officers deployed to maintain peace and order throughout the exercise.

Representatives of the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), were present at polling stations along with independent observers to ensure transparency in the process.

The by-election features NDC’s Bernard Bediako Baidoo facing off against NPP’s Solomon Kwame Asumadu in what has been described as a tight race.

Tensions briefly flared earlier in the day when a man was arrested for tearing down a candidate’s posters near a polling station. A separate confrontation occurred at the Akwatia lorry station involving senior party officials from both the NDC and NPP. Police intervened quickly to prevent the situation from escalating.

“The security presence has been strong and responsive. It helped to de-escalate issues quickly and keep the process moving,” said a local EC official at one of the polling stations.

Ballot counting is currently underway, with final results expected to be announced after collation at the constituency centre later tonight.