The (NDC) Lawyers Association has declared its readiness to deploy a strong team of legal practitioners to Akwatia in the Eastern Region to monitor and safeguard the upcoming by-election.
According to the group, recent developments in Akwatia, including threats of violence allegedly made by some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as reported attacks on NDC leaders, have raised serious concerns about the safety and integrity of the polls.
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.
The lawyers pointed to reports of individuals arrested with guns attempting to enter Akwatia, as well as alleged attempts to attack NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and the party's candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, during the 40-day memorial service of the late Ernest Kumi, former NPP parliamentary candidate.
