A former Energy Minister and aspirant for the National Patriotic Party (NPP) chairmanship, Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has attributed the low voter turnout at the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election to entrenched patterns in Ghanaian electoral behaviour, where by-elections rarely spark the same enthusiasm as general elections. The by-election was triggered by the death of sitting MP Naser Toure Mahama on January 4, following a brief illness. Mahama, who had been re-elected in the 2024 general elections, was a four-term legislator. The current race features five candidates, including NPP’s Yussif Baba Ali and independent contender Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda, a former NDC member.