The Ghana Police Service has deployed 5,500 personnel to the Akwatia constituency ahead of the September 2 by-election.

The move, aimed at ensuring top-notch security, comes amidst heightened political tensions surrounding the vacant parliamentary seat.

The Akwatia by-election follows the unfortunate death of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament, Ernest Kumi.

The seat has since become a focal point of intense rivalry between the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition NPP.

Recent remarks from the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, criticising the NDC's decision to contest the seat, have further contributed to the pre-election anxiety.

The sheer scale of the deployment—one of the largest in Ghana's electoral history—reflects the determination of security forces to prevent any form of violence or intimidation.

The last major security deployment of this nature was during the 2024 general election, which saw isolated incidents of violence despite widespread security presence.

Addressing the media, Director of Operations for the Ghana Police Service, COP Vans Baba Gariba, underscored that the police's primary objective is to protect, not to intimidate, voters.

He stated, “The personnel will be engaged in community engagements to assure the electorates that they should not fear; they should all come out and cast their votes and exercise their rights as good citizens.”

This proactive engagement is part of a broader strategy to foster public confidence and ensure a peaceful voting process.

In addition to the extensive presence at every polling station and electoral area, the police have implemented stringent access controls at the collation centre.

Only properly accredited individuals will be granted entry during the vote counting process, a measure intended to prevent potential disruptions and guarantee the integrity of the results.

The deployment seeks to mitigate the kind of electoral violence that has plagued other by-elections in the past, where a smaller-scale security presence was unable to deter clashes between rival party supporters.

The Akwatia vote will be a test of whether a robust and visible security posture can successfully safeguard the democratic process, sending a strong message that electoral violence will not be tolerated.