Today, more than 49,000 registered voters in the Ayawaso East Constituency are anticipated to cast ballots to choose a new member of parliament to take Mahama Naser Toure’s place.
The by-election was set by the Electoral Commission following Mr. Toure’s death at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on January 4, 2026. Known affectionately as “McNaza,” he was the Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Energy Committee and an NDC MP for four terms.
A total of five candidates are competing for the vacant seat at 113 polling stations across the constituency.
The NDC’s Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, a former High Commissioner to Nigeria, secured the first position on the ballot after the High Court threw out a lawsuit contesting his victory in the party’s primaries. Meanwhile, Yussif Baba Ali of the opposition NPP is aiming to break the NDC’s long-standing dominance in the area.
Completing the list of candidates are Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal People’s Party, Mohammed Umaru Sanda who is contesting as an Independent after defecting from the NDC—and David Akonor, also running as an Independent.
While all five candidates remain confident of victory, independent polling by Global InfoAnalytics projects a strong showing for the NDC’s Baba Jamal. The NPP leadership, however, says it remains optimistic about overturning expectations.
The Electoral Commission has assured the public that all logistical and security arrangements have been completed to ensure a free, fair, and orderly electoral process.
It further issued a stern warning against electoral misconduct, with particular emphasis on vote-buying, stating that any confirmed violations will attract severe penalties. The Commission noted that the contest will be decided under Ghana’s first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the highest number of valid votes emerges victorious.
To ensure a calm and orderly procedure, the Ghana Police Service has implemented comprehensive security measures, sending personnel to key places.
Official voting began at 7:00 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m., at which point polling places will begin counting.