The Ghana Police Service has announced plans to deploy 80 officers to each polling station in the Ayawaso East Constituency for the parliamentary by-election scheduled for March 3.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, February 25, the Deputy Police Commander of the Nima District, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Asong Ayrakwa, assured the public of comprehensive security measures to guarantee a peaceful poll.
“Every electoral area will have about 80 police officers to protect everyone. So everyone should come out and vote freely. We have adequate personnel who will be on standby to respond to emergency issues,” he stated.
He also disclosed that the Police have intensified community sensitisation efforts across the constituency ahead of the exercise.
According to him, officers are engaging residents through public address systems mounted on patrol vehicles to educate them on the need to maintain peace before, during, and after the election.
“Currently, we are embarking on community engagement. We use the loudspeakers on our vehicles to tell people how they should behave during, before, and after the election. We are the same people; we don’t want violence. No one should insult others or deface or tear down anybody’s posters. These things can escalate into violence,” he added.
The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure, in January while receiving treatment at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Five candidates are contesting the seat. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is represented by Baba Jamal, who drew number one on the ballot paper. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Yussif Baba Ali, secured the number three position, while the Liberal People’s Party (LPP) candidate, Ibrahim Iddrisu, picked number two.
Independent candidates Alhaji Mohammed Umar Sanda and David Kannor will appear in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Source: CNR
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