The parliamentary rerun in Ablekuma North constituency descended into chaos Friday when unidentified assailants violently disrupted voting at a key polling center, injuring political figures and halting the electoral process.
Among those assaulted were former Fisheries Minister and ex-Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, and New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie. Both women were reportedly targeted by a group of muscular, unidentified men who stormed the St. Peter’s polling station in a coordinated attack.
Eyewitness accounts described a scene of panic and confusion as the group’s arrival triggered a temporary suspension of voting. Security forces were later deployed to restore order, allowing the rerun to resume.
Akua Afriyie, along with a female party agent, sustained facial injuries in the assault, according to Channel One News reporter Jude Duncan, who was present at the scene. Swelling and bruising were visible, raising concerns over the safety of candidates and election personnel amid mounting political unrest.
The rerun, covering 19 polling stations, was mandated by the Electoral Commission (EC) to resolve a prolonged dispute following the December 7, 2024, general elections. The Ablekuma North seat has remained vacant since then, depriving the area of parliamentary representation.
Notably, the NPP officially boycotted the rerun, alleging procedural unfairness in the EC’s decision to hold the re-vote. Akua Afriyie, however, broke ranks with her party and chose to participate, intensifying already fraught tensions within the constituency.
Source:TheDotNews