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Former Vice-President and 2024 Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reacted to the chaos that erupted during the rerun of parliamentary elections at 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North constituency.
The incident occurred at the Odorkor Methodist 1 Polling Station, where unidentified individuals stormed the venue and launched attacks on several persons, including former Member of Parliament Mavis Hawa Koomson and NPP Deputy National Organiser, Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei Asamoah.
Speaking in an interview with Joy Prime, Dr Bawumia strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as deeply disturbing and a stain on Ghana’s democratic credentials. He stated:
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This is not the democracy we want to see in Ghana. Our supporters are being attacked by thugs in the presence of the police, who have been unable to protect them. The candidate, Nana Akua, has been attacked, Hawa Koomson has been attacked, and our Deputy National Organiser has also been attacked.
He added:
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After every election, we should see our democracy strengthened. That is essential for the peace and stability of our country. You may recall that the background to this particular election was the police informing the Electoral Commission that they were unable to provide security to retrieve three pink sheets. Yet, somehow, they have now found the capacity to provide security for elections across 19 polling stations.
Dr Bawumia went on to caution that the situation sets a dangerous precedent and could jeopardise national stability:
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We do not want a Ghana where political parties feel compelled to provide their own security. That would be a recipe for disaster, imagine every political party raising its own army to protect its members during elections. But this, unfortunately, is the message currently being sent.
He concluded by calling on President John Mahama to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice, stressing that a future NPP government would not hesitate to prosecute those involved in the attacks.