Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, has expressed dissatisfaction with the sentencing of eight men convicted for their involvement in violent disturbances during the Ablekuma North Parliamentary election re-run.
The eight men—Mohammed Abubakari, Tijani Mahmudu, Prince Dzakpasu, Anas Mohammed, Mohammed Hamda, Darko Otibu Samuel, Musah Muntari, and Ali Saeed (alias Bomba) were convicted by the Accra Circuit Court on August 29, 2025, after admitting to charges of assaulting political figures during the by-election re-run at the Methodist Church Polling Station.
The convicted individuals were each fined 500 penalty units (GH¢6,000) or face 24 months in prison if they default on the payment. However, Cudjoe questioned whether this punishment would be sufficient to deter future incidents of electoral violence, which have plagued several by-elections in the country.
The incident occurred while former Minister of State and ex-MP for Awutu Senya East, Hawa Mavis Koomson, along with other political figures, was monitoring the election. The group was unprovokedly attacked by the accused men, who assaulted Koomson and fellow victims, Majeed Mohammed Saana, a trader, and Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei, Deputy Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday August 30, Cudjoe raised concerns about the leniency of the punishment, suggesting that the sentences were not harsh enough to deter future acts of electoral violence.
“I am not too sure and happy about the sentencing in the case of Ablekuma. I think they should have been punished a lot more. So that people are deterred from getting involved in acts of violence and electoral hooliganism.”
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Ablekuma North Violence: Eight convicted, fined GH¢6,000 each