Voting at the Odorkor Methodist Church polling station in the Ablekuma North Constituency was temporarily halted on Friday, July 11, after the unexpected presence of former Awutu Senya East MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, sparked tension.
According to eyewitnesses, the former Minister allegedly sprayed pepper into a crowd during a heated altercation, further escalating an already volatile situation.
The incident caused chaos and forced Electoral Commission officials to pause the process momentarily as voters and polling agents scattered in reaction to the pepper spray.
Tempers flared, with several party supporters accusing Koomson of interfering in the process and provoking violence.
Elsewhere in the constituency, violence erupted at the St. Peter’s polling station, where a group of unidentified macho men reportedly stormed the centre in a well-coordinated attack.
The thugs assaulted journalists and party agents, disrupting voting activities.
Among those injured were the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, and a female polling agent.
Both suffered visible facial injuries, including swelling. Hawa Koomson, who was later seen at St. Peter’s, was also reportedly assaulted during the melee.
The Electoral Commission (EC) is conducting the rerun across 19 polling stations to resolve verification issues that marred the December 2024 general elections.
READ: Ablekuma North rerun: Police interdict officer for assaulting EIB Network journalist
Eighteen of the 37 disputed polling stations had already been certified, with the remaining 19 requiring fresh voting to complete the collation.
The rerun has been politically charged. The NPP earlier announced a boycott, alleging the EC was acting under political pressure and showing bias toward the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Despite the party’s official stance, Nana Akua Afriyie chose to participate, following the dismissal of her court attempt to block the rerun.
The EC has firmly rejected allegations of bias and emphasized its commitment to transparency and neutrality.
Ablekuma North has remained without a Member of Parliament since 2024, and today’s rerun is viewed as critical to restoring representation to the constituency.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
