Chaos at Ablekuma North: Hawa Koomson, NPP Candidate Akua Afriyie Assaulted by Unidentified Macho Men

By Joylinda Laryea / July 11, 2025

A violent disruption marred the parliamentary rerun at the St. Peter’s Polling Station in Ablekuma North on Friday, July 11, 2025, as unidentified macho men stormed the centre, assaulting political figures and halting voting temporarily.

Among the victims of the coordinated attack were former Fisheries Minister and ex-MP for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie. Both women reportedly sustained facial injuries, with visible swelling, following the brutal assault.

 The violence also targeted a female NPP polling agent, while terrified voters and election officials were forced to flee the scene. Security forces eventually intervened to restore order, allowing voting to resume under tighter protection.

Eyewitnesses described the attackers’ arrival as sudden and well-coordinated, raising fears about voter safety and the integrity of the electoral process. The rerun covers 19 polling stations and was ordered by the Electoral Commission (EC) to resolve a months-long deadlock stemming from the December 7, 2024, general election.

Despite the NPP’s decision to boycott the rerun in protest of the EC's handling of disputed pink sheets, its candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, defied the party’s directive and participated in the contest. The political atmosphere in the constituency remains tense.

No arrests have yet been made, and the Ghana Police Service has been called upon by political leaders and civil society to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The rerun aims to restore parliamentary representation to Ablekuma North, a constituency that has remained without an MP since December 2024.