The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that the parliamentary by-election in the Ayawaso East Constituency will be held on March 3, 2026, following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama.
In line with preparations for the poll, the EC has opened nominations for prospective candidates. Interested persons are required to download nomination forms from the Commission’s official website between Friday, January 16, and Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
According to the EC, completed nomination forms must be submitted between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm, and from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on each of the designated days. Candidates may submit their forms personally or through their proposer or seconder to the Returning Officer at the Ayawaso East Municipal Office.
Each nomination form must be endorsed by two registered voters in the constituency who will act as proposer and seconder. In addition, the nomination must be supported by eighteen other registered voters, all of whom must be eligible voters in the Ayawaso East Constituency.
The filing fee for the by-election has been set at GH¢10,000 per candidate. However, female candidates and persons with disabilities will pay a reduced fee of GH¢7,500.
The by-election has become necessary following the passing of Naser Toure Mahama on January 4, 2026, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after a brief illness. The late MP served four terms in Parliament and held several key positions, including Vice Chairman of the Energy Committee, as well as membership on the Roads and Transport Committee, the House Committee, and the Private Members’ Bills and Motions Committee.
Speculation over potential candidates intensified after the completion of the seven-day Muslim prayers in honour of the late legislator. Within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), discussions are ongoing about a suitable successor, with names such as Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, a former Member of Parliament for Akwatia, and Dr Yakubu Azindow emerging as possible contenders.
Both Baba Jamal and Dr Azindow previously contested the NDC parliamentary primaries ahead of the 2024 general election. In that contest, Naser Toure Mahama won with 675 votes, followed by Baba Jamal with 525 votes and Dr Azindow with 215 votes.
The Ayawaso East by-election will add to the list of parliamentary by-elections held since the inception of Ghana’s Fourth Republic in 1993, which has recorded 35 by-elections to date, most of which have historically favoured the ruling party.
Under Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution, a parliamentary seat may be declared vacant upon the dissolution of Parliament, the death or resignation of an MP, the election of an MP as Speaker, expulsion or disqualification from Parliament, or when an MP elected on a party ticket changes political affiliation.
President John Mahama has since expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the late Ayawaso East MP, describing the loss as sudden and painful, and has commiserated with the bereaved family in Accra.
0 Comments