By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, March 3, GNA – Trading surged in the Ayawaso East Constituency on Tuesday as the parliamentary by-election spurred brisk business at the Nima Market.
By mid-morning, heavy vehicular traffic caused gridlock along the Nima road leading to the market, as residents and visitors thronged the area to vote and conduct business.
Traders displayed their wares along the roadside to attract the influx of buyers, many of whom were in the constituency to participate in the polls.
Items on sale included clothing, footwear, bags, meat, fresh and smoked fish, tomatoes, onions, pepper and garden eggs.
Others offered rice, beans, gari, yam, plantain, cooking oil, spices, detergents, cosmetics, mobile phone accessories, plastic ware and other general merchandise.
Food vendors reported a sharp increase in sales.
Laura Hamisu, a food vendor, told the Ghana News Agency that her sales had tripled within two hours of opening.
“Because of the fasting, many food vendors did not open and that has helped me. If I am able to sell everything before noon, I’ll put another one on fire,” she said.
At the meat section, Baba Razak, a butcher, expressed optimism about the day’s sales. He said he expected business to improve further as voter turnout increased in the afternoon.
Beyond the day’s trading, Baba Razak said he was hopeful that the next Member of Parliament would “open doors” and create job opportunities for the youth in the area.
Meanwhile, some traders appealed to the authorities to decongest and expand the market to enhance trading activities.
They said persistent gridlock and sanitation challenges undermined the market’s capacity and hampered smooth business operations, particularly on major market days.
Polls opened at 0700 hours across the constituency under heavy police presence and are expected to close at 1700 hours.
Ballots will be counted at the various polling stations, with final collation at a designated centre within the constituency, where the Electoral Commission will declare the winner.
A total of 49,966 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots in the by-election, following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Mr Naser Toure Mahama, in January 2026.
Five candidates are contesting the seat: Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed of the National Democratic Congress, Mr Baba Ali Yussif of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana, and Independent candidates Mr Umar Sanda Mohammed and Mr David Akonor.
Security personnel were deployed early to polling stations across Nima, Maamobi, Accra New Town and adjoining communities to maintain law and order.
The National Democratic Congress is seeking to retain the seat, which it has held since 1992.
An opinion poll by Global InfoAnalytics projected that the NDC candidate could secure about 75 per cent of the vote, in line with the constituency’s historical voting pattern.
Ayawaso East, within the Accra Metropolitan Area of the Greater Accra Region, is a densely populated urban constituency with a youthful electorate that continues to shape its political and economic landscape.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey