Former Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, has described the violent scenes at the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun as a key reason why he opposed the idea of a rerun in the first place, citing concerns about the recurrence of electoral violence similar to what occurred during the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, July 17, Mr. Acheampong said the chaos that erupted at the St. Peter’s polling centre only reinforced his earlier fears that the rerun would expose Ghana’s democratic process to further instability and harm its reputation.
“For me, it was one of the reasons why I was against a rerun, knowing the turnout and the events that happened in the 2024 elections. I didn’t want a situation where this beautiful democracy we are enjoying, which offers me the opportunity to express myself, would be marred by violence,” he stated.
He reiterated his long-held stance against political violence, describing it as a threat to the very foundation of democracy. Acheampong stressed that democracy must be practised through dialogue and expression, not intimidation.
“I have always condemned, and I will sit here and continue to condemn violence. Democracy is not violence, but how I can speak up about my concerns and make it abundantly clear that this is our practice, and this is how we must uphold it,” he added.
The Ablekuma North rerun, held on Friday, July 11, was thrown into chaos after a group of unidentified macho men stormed the St. Peter’s polling station, violently disrupting the voting process.
Former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson was among those assaulted, as reported by Channel One News journalist Jude Duncan.
In a separate incident, a police officer reportedly assaulted a GHOne TV journalist at the Church of Pentecost North Odorkor Polling Station 2, sparking outrage from media stakeholders and civil society groups.
Meanwhile, Hamza Suhuyini, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communication team, has confirmed that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has launched a formal investigation into the incidents.