The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pledged a peaceful approach to next week’s by-election in the Akwatia constituency, while also warning that it will act decisively to protect its members in the face of potential violence.
Speaking Wednesday during a campaign event in the Eastern Region, NDC Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande said the party would not tolerate any form of intimidation targeting its supporters during the September 2 vote.
Gbande’s remarks, delivered both at a rally and later during an interview with Citi FM, were aimed at clarifying earlier warnings to political opponents. “At no point will the NDC encourage any of our supporters to engage in violence,” he said. “But if anyone foments violence, we will not stand by while our members become victims. We will protect every single NDC participant and defend the vote.”
The by-election, triggered by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, has emerged as a key battleground between the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the governing NDC. The race pits NPP candidate Solomon Kwame Asumadu against the NDC’s Bernard Bediako in what has historically been a closely contested swing seat.
With the stakes high, both parties are under scrutiny for their conduct during the campaign period. NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah earlier this week echoed Gbande’s position, committing the party to a fair and peaceful process.
In anticipation of possible unrest, Ghana’s Police Service has pledged to deploy trained officers across Akwatia to maintain order in the lead-up to and during the vote. Security concerns have become a focal point in the final stretch of the campaign, with political observers warning that even isolated incidents could damage public confidence in the electoral process.
Ghana, widely viewed as a stable democracy in West Africa, has generally maintained a peaceful electoral record, though local-level contests like the Akwatia by-election occasionally raise tensions.
