Certified international elections observer Koku Anyidoho has expressed satisfaction with the Electoral Commission’s (EC) conduct of the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election so far, saying the poll management body is performing above expectations on election day.
Anyidoho, speaking from a polling station in the constituency on Tuesday, March 3, praised the EC — which he referred to by its technical designation as the Election Management Body (EMB) — for deploying materials and personnel on time and setting up polling stations in line with internationally accepted standards.
The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting MP, Naser Toure Mahama (National Democratic Congress (NDC), in January at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
“I’m happy,” he said. “The EC, on top of its job — when I got here, the material, the personnel already deployed, they are set up in good time.”
Koku Anyidoho pointed to two key benchmarks that election monitors look out for during polls. The first is the placement of the voting booth, which he said must guarantee voter privacy.
The second is the positioning of the ballot box — which, by international standards, must be placed in an open, visible area so that voters cast their ballots in full public view.
“I think that these basic things are standing tall as far as the EMB is concerned,” Anyidoho said.
He also commended the strong media turnout at the polling station, saying it was a positive development for accurate and credible reportage. He warned against commentary from those not physically present at polling centres, describing such contributions as potential sources of disinformation and misinformation.
A total of 49,966 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots across 113 polling stations in the constituency.
The main contenders are the NDC’s Baba Jamal, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Yussif Baba Ali, and independent candidate Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda. Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana, and David Kanor, an independent candidate, complete the contestants’ list.
A poll conducted by Global InfoAnalytics between February 28 and March 1 projected Baba Jamal to secure 75% of the vote, with Baba Ali trailing at 21%.
Voting runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Security has been massive, with the Ghana Police Service deploying 80 officers to each polling station to guarantee a peaceful exercise.
