Former NPP flagbearer aspirant, Dr Arthur Kennedy (Arthur K.), has expressed disappointment over the violent incidents that marred the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun election on Friday, July 11, 2025, pointedly questioning President John Mahama’s silence on the matter.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, July 14, Dr Kennedy criticised the state of security during the election and the broader implications for Ghana’s democracy.
The Ablekuma North rerun, a crucial contest to determine parliamentary representation after the December 2024 general elections, was plagued by reports of intimidation, physical assaults, and disruptions, casting a shadow over Ghana’s democratic credentials.
[embedded content]Despite the NPP’s official boycott of the rerun, their parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, defied the directive and contested, ultimately losing to the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn.
However, the election was overshadowed by the violence, particularly at polling stations like St Peter’s Methodist Church.
Dr Kennedy did not mince words, asserting that what transpired demanded immediate and decisive action, not just investigations.
He expressed disappointment with the President’s silence.
“What is the president doing about this? I saw a social media post in which the vice president talked about, ‘Oh! We need to do a little better.’ No, we need to stop talking and do things. The government is responsible for security. I do not think it is progress for Ghana for the MPP to go and form a vigilante group or an Azorka boys or whatever,” he said.
“I’m just saying that what we saw is something for which there ought to be apologies. Ghanaian citizens got up to go and vote. Media personnel got up to go and cover an election, and we saw an assault. Nobody ought to be telling us about investigations. There ought to be an arrest.”
He specifically highlighted a disturbing visual:
“We saw a video in which somebody dived at a woman like he was a kung fu fighter. We saw policemen standing by while people were assaulted. Some of them walked away.”
This apparent inaction by law enforcement drew his sharpest criticism, raising fundamental questions about the state’s capacity to protect its citizens during elections.
“And if the national police cannot protect people from a handful of polling stations, how are they going to protect us during national elections?” he queried, emphasising the gravity of the situation.
The violence in Ablekuma North saw several individuals, including prominent political figures and journalists, reportedly assaulted.
Former Fisheries Minister and NPP stalwart, Mavis Hawa Koomson, was among those attacked.
Additionally, at least three journalists – Kwabena Agyekum Banahene of EIB Network, Salomey Martey of Multimedia Group, and Vida Wiafe of Amansan TV (ATV) – reported being physically assaulted while covering the rerun.
The Ghana Police Service later interdicted an officer captured on video slapping Kwabena Agyekum Banahene.
Dr Kennedy vehemently rejected the common political retort of mutual blame, often seen in Ghana’s highly polarised political landscape.
“And by the way, an eye for an eye will leave everybody blind.”
When asked what must change, Dr. Kennedy’s response was unequivocal: “What must change is that governments must understand that they are not partisans fighting for power anymore. They are responsible for security in the state. People ought to be able to get up at home, go to vote and go home peacefully. We need to count our votes. And no drop of Ghanaian blood is worth anybody’s ambitions.”
His comments echo a persistent concern in Ghana’s democratic journey. The country has a troubling record of election-related violence, particularly in recent general elections. The December 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, for instance, recorded at least six deaths linked to electoral violence, while the 2020 elections saw at least eight fatalities. Despite the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 2019 (Act 999), which criminalises political vigilantism, and repeated calls for justice from civil society organisations like CDD-Ghana, prosecutions for election-related violence remain rare, contributing to a perceived culture of impunity.
Dr. Kennedy’s powerful plea for accountability and a shift from partisan bickering to genuine state responsibility for security resonates deeply with many Ghanaians who yearn for peaceful and credible elections, free from the shadow of violence and intimidation.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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