Violence erupted at the St. Peter’s polling station in the Ablekuma North Constituency on Friday, July 11, during a parliamentary election rerun. Several individuals, including former Awutu Senya East MP Mavis Hawa Koomson, suffered injuries as a result. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of heavily built men, believed to be political thugs, launched a coordinated attack on the polling center, disrupting voting activities and assaulting political party representatives and journalists present.
Among the injured were New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie and a female polling agent, both of whom sustained facial injuries and visible swelling. Former Minister Hawa Koomson, who was reportedly at the scene to support her party, was also caught up in the chaos and was assaulted during the melee.
The Electoral Commission (EC) is conducting this rerun in 19 polling stations across the constituency to resolve unresolved verification issues from the December 2024 general elections. Of the 37 disputed polling stations, 18 had their results certified, while the remaining 19 required a fresh vote to complete the collation process.
The rerun has not been without controversy. The NPP has raised concerns about the EC’s impartiality, accusing it of acting under political pressure and favouring the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The party initially declared a boycott of the rerun, labelling it illegitimate.
However, in a twist, NPP parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie defied her party’s directive and participated in the contest. Her decision followed the dismissal of a court injunction she filed to halt the rerun. EC refuted claims of political bias, stressing that the Commission remains independent and committed to electoral transparency.
Ablekuma North has been without parliamentary representation since the 2024 elections, and the EC maintains that the rerun is critical to concluding the electoral process and restoring legislative representation to the constituency.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
