The Inspector-General of Police has pledged additional security measures during the vote-counting phase of the Akwatia by-election, following reports of isolated tensions earlier in the day.
Dr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno said Tuesday that the Ghana Police Service is fully prepared to maintain order as the Electoral Commission begins tallying ballots after the close of polls.
“It will be well. You have seen it already and that is how it will be. And when it gets to counting, you will see that more reinforcement will come in. The robust ones will also come,” Dr. Yohuno told reporters during a visit to the Eastern Region constituency.
The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament. Voting is being conducted across 119 polling stations, with more than 50,000 registered voters expected to participate.
While minor scuffles were reported earlier in the day, particularly in areas such as Wenchi and Vawaso, the IGP said the situation remained largely calm and credited the professionalism of officers deployed to the area.
Security presence has been visibly increased in key hotspots, with police patrols and crowd-control units stationed near collation centers in anticipation of heightened activity as ballots are counted.
The Electoral Commission is expected to begin the collation process shortly after polls close, with official results likely to be announced later Tuesday evening.
