Six persons have been injured, but there is yet no police confirmation of the casualties.
It was, however, gathered that voting started at 7 am local time, but before that there were skirmishes between some members of the (NPP) and the leading opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters, which compelled the police to seek reinforcement.
There were also reports that some invincible forces, which are alleged to belong to the ruling NPP, unleashing terror on the supporters of the NDC, while there were sporadic gunshots.
According to local reports, the event, which was covered live on television, saw some of the invincible forces allegedly overpowering the opposition NDC Member of Parliament for Nigo Prampram in the Greater Region, Sam George.
The National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, told an Accra based Joy FM that the NDC had withdrawn from the election for security reasons.
“Armed security men besieged our candidate’s home and we can no longer guarantee the security of our people and our polling agents,” Mr. Ampofo said.
“We have conferred with our candidate, Delali Kwesi Brempong, and he is traumatized by the incident. We also do not believe a single life should be lost in this by-election, so we have withdrawn from the process,’’ he added.
According to reports on the Ayawaso by-election at the La Bawalashie Presby polling station on Thursday, gun shots were fired at the location.
The Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said on the Super Morning Show of Joy FM in Accra that at least six people had been critically injured and were sent to Legon Hospital, while others were sent to 37 Military Hospital for treatment.
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is pointing fingers at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for fueling the violence that has characterized the by-election.
According to the party’s Communications Director, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, the NDC planned to disrupt the polls and this was evident in their premeditated behaviour and pronouncements they made prior to the elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra Buabeng Asamoah said leaders of the NDC had abandoned their responsibility to their people and decided to throw a rather peaceful poll into disarray.
Meanwhile, The NDC national Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said that unknown men “shot indiscriminately”.
“We have evidence here to show you,” he said showing gun pellets at a press conference in Accra.