Ablekuma North Rerun: Chaos Erupts, NPP's Hawa Koomson Beaten at Polling Station
- Clashes erupted during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, leading to reported violence at a polling station
- Former Fisheries Minister Hawa Koomson was allegedly assaulted by unidentified thugs during the incident
- Police officials intervened to restore order as the Electoral Commission suspended voting for investigations
- Yakub Alfa Suleiman, the founder of the Journalists Network for Peace and Security (JNePS), shared his views on this in a discussion with YEN.com.gh
Chaos broke out in the ongoing Ablekuma North constituency parliamentary rerun as reported clashes between rival supporters led to violence.
Media reports indicated that former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP and former Minister of Fisheries, Mavis Hawa Koomson, was allegedly assaulted.
Source: Facebook
A video circulating on social media showed thugs assaulting the former minister at the St. Peter’s polling station in the Ablekuma North constituency.
The incident occurred at a polling station after tensions flared between NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters.
Eyewitnesses claimed the confrontation began when Hawa Koomson visited the polling station to monitor the elections.
Reports suggested the former MP for Awutu Senya East left the scene and returned a few minutes later to continue with her monitoring process.
Her return, however, created tension, which led to the chaos after unidentified thugs allegedly questioned her presence at the polling station.
According to reports, Koomson, feeling threatened by the sheer presence of the alleged thugs, pulled out pepper spray from her bag and sprayed it on them.
This degenerated into a violent clash between members of the NDC and NPP, with the former MP being beaten.
Watch the video below:
Reactions to the attack on Hawa Koomson
Some Ghanaians on social media have taken to social media to share their views on the attack on Hawa Koomson.
YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the reactions below:
@quofi_rasta said:
"I don’t think the police officers there are trained well enough to handle this kind of chaos."
@ClydeMania also said:
"Her Ghana police .. Standing there and others running away . How safe is the civilian?"
@Bigj00118230 commented:
"The pregnancy we have been telling you about has given birth today. When Hawa Kumson pulled off a pistol, what happened? Nothing, Sam George was beaten, and nothing happened; this was what we were telling tomorrow was pregnant. Now you are feeling the heat. Say no to violence."
@PaaChicharito also commented:
"If the police service can't control this, then they don't deserve their salaries this month."
@ricword4u wrote:
"Hawa Koomson? Same woman who shot people in Kaasoa? Karma has an interesting way of exacting revenge! Arrest the hoodlums though."
@Equaye4 also wrote:
"I think the competence level of out police is only to take bribe. They really need to be given proper training for the betterment of all."
Sharing his views on the incident that marred the Ablekuma North election rerun, Yakub Alfa Suleiman, the founder of the Journalists Network for Peace and Security (JNePS), remarked that it wasn’t the first time such violence had taken place.
He noted that it seemed to have become a political culture, with party supporters viewing elections as an opportunity to seek revenge for previous grievances.
"Concerning what happened yesterday in Ablekuma North, this is not the first time we've seen this kind of situation. However, it seems to have become a political culture where party faithfuls view elections as an opportunity to take revenge for what was done to them in previous years. This continuous phenomenon started long ago, and people often refer to the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election," he said.
"There have been other by-elections as well, and these events have been marked by violence over the years. Whenever a government is in power, it often sees elections as a chance to exact revenge for what happened when they were in opposition. This is where the problem lies," he further stated.
Source: Getty Images
Police arrest suspects Ablekuma North
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that police arrested people impersonating security officers at the Awoshie DVLA polling station during the Ablekuma North rerun elections.
The suspects, who were dressed in brown uniforms, reportedly failed to identify themselves and were taken to the Odorkor Police Station as investigations began.
The incident raised concerns about election security during the rerun, but the police assured the public of their continued commitment to a safe electoral process.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
