TheThe National Democratic Congress (NDC) Lawyers Association has stated that it is prepared to send a capable group of solicitors to Akwatia in the Eastern Region in order to keep an eye on and protect the next by-election.
The organisation claims that recent events in Akwatia, including as purported violent threats from certain NPP members and attacks on NDC leaders, have caused grave worries about the security and reliability of the elections.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 30, 2025, and signed by Isaac Minta Larbi, Legal Director of the Eastern Region and Chairman of the NDC Eastern Legal Team, the lawyers condemned what they described as “unwelcome and unwarranted threats” aimed at creating fear among voters in the constituency.
“These threats are unacceptable and constitute an affront to our democracy and rule of law, which seeks to ensure that under our democracy people are free to exercise their rights to vote in a peaceful, free and fair manner,” the statement read.
During the 40-day memorial service of the late Ernest Kumi, a former NPP parliamentary candidate, the lawyers cited reports of people who were arrested with guns trying to enter Akwatia and allegations of attacks on NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and the party’s candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo.
They urged the Ghana Police Service to look into the incidents immediately and prosecute those responsible.
The group emphasised that acts of violence and intimidation should not be allowed to erode Ghana’s democracy, which has reached a mature state.
“We cannot at this stage allow hooligans and people who don’t seem to care much about our democracy to try to derail it, especially under the Presidency of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama,” the statement emphasized.
The NDC Lawyers also revealed that during the December 7 parliamentary elections at Akwatia, several electoral infractions were observed, leading to a lawsuit against the Electoral Commission and the late Ernest Kumi.
To prevent a repeat of such disputes, the group announced plans to deploy body cameras for effective monitoring of voting and collation processes.
As part of their deployment, the lawyers will serve in multiple capacities including polling agents, counting agents and collation agents while also engaging in overall monitoring of the electoral process in collaboration with the Electoral Commission and security agencies.
“Our lawyers will be playing different roles, including monitoring compliance with the law during the voting process, to ensure that the people of Akwatia feel safe and secure on election day in order to exercise their constitutional and democratic rights,” the statement noted.
The lawyers underscored their unwavering support for the NDC candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, describing him as a colleague and member of the NDC Lawyers Association.
They expressed confidence that once the election is conducted fairly, he will emerge victorious and bring the needed development to Akwatia.
“This election ought to be monitored properly to avoid any subsequent lawsuits, because after the election the people of Akwatia deserve development and not litigation,” they added.
Reiterating their commitment to democracy and peace, the group insisted that acts of voter intimidation, harassment, and violence will not be tolerated.
They concluded by activating their call for all body cameras to be deployed during the election.
