Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rashid Tanko-Computer, has strongly denied allegations that the NDC orchestrated violence during the parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North Constituency.
The violence reportedly began at the Odorkor Methodist Church polling station, where former Awutu Senya East MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, allegedly discharged pepper spray during an altercation, leading to a temporary suspension of voting.
Tensions escalated further at the St. Peter’s polling station, where a group of unidentified individuals believed to be political thugs attacked party agents and journalists.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie and a female polling agent were injured, suffering visible facial injuries. Hawa Koomson was also reportedly assaulted during the chaos.
However, NPP parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie has accused the NDC of deploying macho men and hoodlums to disrupt the voting process. Addressing the media, she claimed:
In response, Rashid Tanko-Computer, speaking on GHOne TV, dismissed the allegations and instead blamed internal NPP conflicts for the violence.
“Let me put it on record, the NDC is not involved in the violence in Ablekuma North. Our party supporters and activists are disciplined people. We respect the right of everyone to come out and vote. Those perpetrating this violence are NPP supporters, those who think that they should not participate in this election as announced by their general secretary are the ones beaten those who have decided to participate.”
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka has warned that all electoral infractions will be treated as criminal offenses, emphasizing that no one will be spared regardless of their political affiliation.
The rerun, supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC), is taking place in 19 polling stations across the constituency.
It follows unresolved verification issues that affected 37 stations during the December 2024 general elections. Results from 18 stations have been certified, necessitating fresh voting in the remaining 19.
Ablekuma North has remained without a Member of Parliament since the 2024 elections due to the unresolved collation process. The EC insists that the rerun is essential to restore full democratic representation in the area.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
