Police Presence in Ayawaso East Justified — Prof. Ezekiel Nortey Optimistic of NDC Victory
Associate Professor of Statistics at Legon, Prof. Ezekiel Nortey, has commended the Ghana Police Service for the heavy security deployment in the Ayawaso East Constituency by-election, stating that law-abiding citizens should not feel intimidated by the presence of security personnel.
According to him, increased police visibility is a preventive measure aimed at maintaining peace and order.
“If you are not a criminal or do not have criminal intent, you will not be bothered by the heavy presence of the police,” he stated.
In a zoom interview with Nana Frimpong Ziega on Kessben TV’s Digest, Prof. Nortey also observed that voter turnout in the constituency may be affected by the ongoing Ramadan, noting that Ayawaso East is largely an Islamic-dominated area.
He explained that the fasting period could influence participation levels, adding that emotional outbursts or heightened political tensions sometimes discourage some residents from coming out to vote.
Despite these factors, the statistics lecturer expressed optimism that the majority of voters in the constituency would cast their ballots in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Baba Jamal.
He acknowledged that independent candidate Sanda, who reportedly broke away from the NDC, could impact the party’s overall vote margin. However, Prof. Nortey maintained that while the independent candidate may reduce the NDC’s percentage share, he does not have the numbers to secure victory.
The Ayawaso East contest remains one of the closely watched races, with heightened security presence underscoring the importance of ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
