New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of deploying macho men and thugs to several polling stations in a bid to disrupt voting during the parliamentary rerun.
Addressing journalists on Friday, July 11, 2025, Afriyie said she personally toured 16 polling stations and encountered a disturbing pattern of violence and intimidation.
“I have visited 16 polling stations today, and all of them had macho men, thugs, and hoodlums everywhere,” she said.
“I was personally assaulted, and so was one of my agents. I call on the IGP to take swift action because even his own policemen are being assaulted by the hoodlums.”
Her comments come amid rising tensions across the constituency, where voting was temporarily suspended at multiple centers due to violent disturbances.
One of the most chaotic scenes occurred at the Odorkor Methodist Church polling station, where former MP for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, allegedly discharged pepper spray during an altercation. The incident triggered panic, forcing a temporary halt to the voting process.
Later at the St. Peter’s polling station, a group of unidentified assailants believed to be political thugs stormed the premises, violently attacking party agents and journalists. Among those injured were Akua Afriyie herself and a female polling agent, both suffering facial injuries. Hawa Koomson was also reportedly assaulted during the attack.
Government Responds to Escalating Violence
In the wake of the violence, Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka issued a stern warning, vowing that all violations of electoral law will be prosecuted.
“All infractions during the Ablekuma North rerun will be treated as criminal offenses, and anyone found flouting the law—irrespective of who they are—will be dealt with accordingly,” he told GHOne News.
Security personnel were swiftly deployed to stabilize the situation at affected polling stations, allowing the rerun to continue under close monitoring.
High-Stakes Rerun
The Electoral Commission (EC) is supervising the rerun in 19 polling stations to resolve verification irregularities that marred the December 2024 general elections. The remaining polling stations are crucial in determining the final outcome of a fiercely contested race between the NPP’s Akua Afriyie and the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn.
So far, results from 262 of the total 281 polling stations show an extremely tight race:
The outcome of the rerun is expected to break a seven-month political deadlock that has left Ablekuma North without parliamentary representation since the last general election. The EC has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and order, despite the disruptions that have plagued the process.
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