Ablekuma North rerun: Chaos as macho men storms Polling station

Tensions escalated during the parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency on Friday, July 11, when a group of unidentified macho men stormed St Peter’s Polling station, disrupting the process and unleashing violence on political figures and journalists.

According to Channel One News’ report monitored by Radiooneghana.com, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, and a female party agent were severely assaulted during the incident. Both reportedly suffered facial injuries, with visible swelling.

Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, was also attacked and pushed to the ground during the chaos. Several journalists covering the election were allegedly assaulted as well.

Eyewitnesses described the arrival of the attackers as highly coordinated, causing panic among voters and halting the voting process temporarily. Security personnel were deployed to restore calm and ensure the continuation of the election.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has yet to issue an official statement on the incident. However, the police have confirmed the deployment of additional officers to maintain peace and order at the affected polling stations.

The rerun, covering 19 polling stations, was organized by the EC to resolve a months-long electoral dispute stemming from the December 7, 2024, general elections. The process is intended to restore parliamentary representation to the constituency, which has remained without a Member of Parliament since then.

Despite the NPP’s official boycott of the rerun—citing unfairness in the EC’s decision—its candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, defied the party’s directive and actively participated in the contest. Political tensions in the area remain high following the violent incident.