A former Energy Minister and aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairmanship, Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has attributed the low voter turnout at the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election to entrenched patterns in Ghanaian electoral behaviour, where by-elections rarely spark the same enthusiasm as general elections.

The by-election was triggered by the death of sitting MP Naser Toure Mahama on January 4, following a brief illness.

Mahama, who had been re-elected in the 2024 general elections, was a four-term legislator. The current race features five candidates, including NPP’s Yussif Baba Ali and independent contender Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda, a former NDC member.

Speaking on Tuesday at one of the 113 polling centres in the constituency, Agyarko said two main factors were suppressing participation.

First, by-elections in general attract lower voter engagement nationwide.

Second, he noted that the perceived predictability of the outcome in stronghold constituencies discourages voters from showing up.

“By and large, by-elections are not that patronised in this country,” he said.

“By-elections in strongholds are presumed as foregone conclusions. And that in itself depresses voter turnout.”

The comment comes in the context of Ayawaso East, a constituency historically leaning strongly towards the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Pre-election polling by Global InfoAnalytics projected NDC candidate Baba Jamal — a former Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria — to secure up to 75 per cent of the vote.

Agyarko suggested such projections can dissuade even loyal voters from casting their ballots.

Polling will close at 5 p.m., with results expected later in the evening.

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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso East, Baba Ali, has dismissed a recent opinion poll projecting victory for his main opponent in the ongoing by-election.

The survey, conducted by Global InfoAnalytics between February 28 and March 1, sampled 972 voters in the constituency and placed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Baba Jamal, significantly ahead.

According to the poll, Baba Jamal is projected to secure 75 per cent of the vote, while Baba Ali trails with 21 per cent. Independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed is projected to obtain 3 per cent, while Ibrahim Iddrisu and David are each expected to secure less than 1 per cent.

Responding to the findings in an interview with Channel One News reporter, Fauzu Masawudu on Tuesday, March 3, Baba Ali said the poll reflects the opinion of the Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, and does not determine the outcome of the election“It doesn’t demoralise me. An election is what happens at the polling station, and that will be his opinion. At the end of the day, we will see whether what he put out is the true reflection of the results, so let’s wait till 5:00 pm,” he said.

Baba Ali expressed confidence in winning the by-election, stating that his campaign team had engaged residents extensively.

“It’s early days yet, but I’m very confident that by 5:00 pm, I will see a positive result on my part. We visited homes and workplaces and even went to the ghettos. We sold our message to them. I believe they will respond positively by casting their votes for me,” he added.

The by-election was triggered by the death of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure, in January 2026, which left the seat vacant. Following internal primaries, the NPP selected Baba Ali as its candidate, while the NDC picked Baba Jamal, a former High Commissioner to Nigeria, to contest the seat.

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