It is exactly one year since then MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Agyarko died.

His death sent shock waves through the political circles of Ghana with many of his colleagues not expecting the sad news.

He died while seeking medical treatment in the US.

A year on, sympathisers have taken to social media to commemorate the anniversary of his passing.

The aftermath

Agyarko’s passing created a vacuum that needed to be filled in Parliament, the Ayawaso West Wuogon seat.

After the speculations about his widow and mistress battling for the seat died down and the latter, Lydia Alhassan won the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) primaries, the big day was set for the by-election.

On the morning of January 31, polls opened early and voting began.

Breaking News: By-election degenerates into violence, the headlines read.

A team of armed men from the national security stormed the home of the opposition NDC candidate, Delali Brempong, close to the La-Bawaleshie polling station.

Voting at that station was halted for some 20 minutes until calm was restored from the clash.

The NDC however, pulled out of the race, and the NPP retained the seat with ease.

A Commission of Enquiry was formed to investigate the violence and find solutions to the long-standing tradition of by-election related violence.

The government also presented a bill to Parliament to curb election-related violence which has since been passed.

The two biggest parties, the NPP and the NDC started dialogues of disbanding their party militias.

Coincidentally, today marks the end of the dialogues but the representatives of the NDC did not show up.

Peace Council Chairman, Prof Emmanuel Asante, addressing the media on Thursday, said representatives of the opposition party did not state any reason for absenting themselves from the forum although they are abreast with issues being discussed.

“The outcome will be conveyed to them, and a date will be set for the public signing after we have endorsed it,” Prof. Asante told journalists.