Election observer Koku Anyidoho has described voter turnout at a polling center in Ayawaso East as “quite low,” though he maintained that the legitimacy of the by-election outcome would not be affected.
Anyidoho said low participation is generally characteristic of by-elections but expressed concern about the figures he observed on the ground.
According to him, at a center with two polling stations — one with just over 400 registered voters and another with more than 700 — only 65 people had voted at the larger station 30 minutes after voting began.
“That’s quite low,” he remarked.
Despite the numbers, Anyidoho stressed that the process remains valid as long as it is conducted in accordance with electoral laws.
“At the end of the day, we will get a newly elected MP today, whether everybody votes or not,” he stated, emphasizing that the most important factor is that the process proceeds smoothly and peacefully.
Touching on allegations of vote buying that emerged during the party primaries in the constituency, Anyidoho acknowledged public concerns but noted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had set up a committee to investigate the matter and subsequently cleared its candidate.
He also referenced a recent High Court ruling that declined to halt the electoral process, effectively allowing the by-election to proceed.
While admitting that the ethical and moral implications of vote buying remain troubling, he suggested that distinguishing between inducement and generosity can sometimes be complicated.
“How do you disaggregate what is vote buying and what is just being nice to people?” he asked, citing reports of motorbikes, television sets, bags of rice, and other items allegedly distributed during the primaries.
Anyidoho further highlighted the broader issue of political party financing, describing it as an area that lacks sufficient transparency.
“These are technical issues that as a nation we must continue to examine,” he said, calling for deeper national conversations around party funding and electoral integrity.
As voting continues in Ayawaso East, attention remains focused not only on turnout figures but also on the broader questions of campaign conduct and democratic accountability.