Dr. Samuel Afriyie, a political analyst with the Kumasi Technical University (KTU), is advocating for common sense to be applied in the upcoming by-election in the Akwatia constituency.
He says if security agencies and other electoral stakeholders are not proactive, the violence that may occur during the by-election could be worse than what was experienced over the weekend.
His comments follow the violence recorded in the Ablekuma North rerun on Friday, July 11, 2025. According to him, stakeholders should agree on measures to ensure all security concerns are addressed to avoid mayhem in Akwatia.
Parliament is yet to announce a date for the by-election in Akwatia following the demise of their representative, Ernest Yaw Kumi.
Speaking on the fallout from the Ablekuma North rerun on the BigIssue on TV3’s NewDay, Dr. Afriyie said: “If we want to progress, common sense should reign. Common sense should be key in Akwatia. If not, I’m sorry that the issues that will come out will be so serious for our democracy.”
He called on the police to up their game to ensure the by-election is violence-free.
“I believe that the actors in this election, especially the security agencies, –the police –need to be very cautious, their intelligence should be at work, meet all people who are stakeholders in the elections that is coming on in Akwatia, and as I said earlier, commonsense should reign, if not, it will be a difficult task for the elections in Akwatia,” he said Monday, July 14, 2025.
Background
The rerun election in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North last Friday was disrupted by violent attacks, as key political figures were assaulted by unknown individuals during the voting.
Some of these attacks happened in front of heavily armed security officers, causing the election to stop for a while as voters, election officials, and political representatives ran for safety.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, was attacked at the Methodist 1 polling station, resulting in injuries, as the hoodlums arrived in a pickup truck accompanied by multiple motorbikes, which caused panic among voters.
These thugs stormed the polling station, pushed aside the security officers, and chased after the former MP. She tried to defend herself with pepper spray from her bag, but they overpowered her and handled her roughly. The police quickly stepped in to help her up from the ground, where she had suffered bruises on her face.
The Deputy National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei Asamoah, was also physically attacked at the St. Peter’s polling station in Odorkor when he tried to gain access to the polling station. Unknown men punched him in the face until the police stepped in to protect him.
Additional disturbances were also reported at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling Station 2, where a police officer was suspended for slapping Agyekum Banahene, a journalist with GHOne TV.
In a press statement announcing the officer’s interdiction, the police service assured the public that a thorough investigation would be conducted, and further updates would be provided.
READ ALSO: Ablekuma North rerun: Police interdict officer for slapping GHOne TV reporter at polling station
The Electoral Commission organised the rerun across 19 polling stations after disputes from the December 7, 2024, general election left the constituency without an MP for seven months.
Although the NPP officially boycotted the rerun over claims of unfairness, its candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, chose to participate in the election.
Despite these events, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, won the election by 209 votes, beating the NPP’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie.
Ewurabena Aubynn received 34,090 votes, whilst Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie garnered 33,881, as announced by the Electoral Commission.
Ablekuma North rerun chaos: Deal with Ayawaso West Wuogon report first – Kpebu
