The National Peace Council’s efforts to secure a peace pact between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the Akwatia by-election have hit a setback.

This has heightened political tension in the constituency.

At a scheduled meeting at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Akwatia, the NPP rejected the NDC’s representatives.

The opposition party argued that the party had presented constituency executives instead of national-level executives to sign the agreement.

NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye told reporters that the NDC had shown reluctance to commit to the peace declaration, accusing the party of deliberately stalling the process.

The disagreement meant the anticipated signing, facilitated by the National Peace Council, could not take place.

Speaking to the media after the failed engagement, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, a Board member of the Peace Council, assured that the body remained prepared to mediate and facilitate the peace pact at any time before the polls.

"The two parties earlier on were represented, but there were some issues of concern that needed to be resolved. And in the spirit of mutual dialogue and mutual respect, both parties agreed that we should suspend the meeting," he said.

The by-election, already drawing national attention, has seen increasing political rhetoric and deepening mistrust between the two major parties.