Police have beefed up security ahead of Thursday’s by-election at the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency.

The Accra Regional Police Command said Wednesday there will be a high security presence at all polling stations, collation centres and all other relevant locations associated with the electoral process.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Effia Tenge, who is Head of the Public Affairs Unit in Accra, said in a statement that the police has a firm strategy to ensure the safety and security of electorates, media personnel and all accredited persons involved in the by-election.

Related: Ayawaso West Wuogon register not bloated – EC denies NDC claims

The statement said further that the police will work with the Electoral Commission, sister security agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure that all electoral materials are safeguarded to secure the integrity of the by-election.

As part of the security measures, police have banned the movement of motorbikes in the constituency during the election period.

The police explained that the ban of motorbikes is to safeguard peace in the area and prevent their use to commit crimes such as the snatching of ballot boxes.

The police have also warned political parties and the candidates to desist from the use of “macho men” to protect the ballot boxes.

Some 600 personnel from the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service would be deployed to the Ayawaso West Wuogon during the elections.

The seat for the constituency became vacant following the death of New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko.

Political parties vying for the vacant seat are the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).

The candidates are Ms Lydia Seyram Alhassan, NPP; Kwasi Delali Brempong, NDC; William Dowokpor, PPP, and Clement Boadi of the LPG.

Some 88,000 voters are expected to cast their ballots in Thursday’s by-election.