Residents of Kusi in the Akwatia Constituency of the Eastern region were greeted on election morning by the sound of heavy machinery grading their long-neglected roads, even as voting commenced in the hotly contested by-election on Tuesday.

The sudden commencement of construction, following years of appeals by the community, has raised eyebrows, with some residents and observers interpreting the move as a political strategy by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to find favour with voters, JoyNews' Nana Bpakye Yiadom reported.

The development has further stoked claims of voter inducement, particularly as the by-election has shaped up to be a direct contest between the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the governing NDC.