Kow Abaka Essuman, a respected legal practitioner and governance researcher, has revisited the events surrounding the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in a sharply-worded reflection that calls on President John Dramani Mahama to act decisively against rising acts of electoral violence.
Citing the recent clashes in the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, Essuman drew parallels between the past and present, warning that failure to respond firmly would erode the moral and legal groundwork established in the wake of the Ayawaso incident.
“In the exercise of high office, there are moments where sharing personal experiences helps the public appreciate the rationale behind certain decisions and their long-term implications”
Kow Abaka Essuman, Legal Practitioner and Governance Researcher
In his detailed public commentary, Essuman recounted the events of Ayawaso with personal insight, recalling how then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, while on official assignment in South Africa, was alarmed by reports of violence, including video footage showing Member of Parliament Sam George allegedly assaulted during the electoral exercise.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo took immediate steps, initiating legal consultation with then Attorney-General Gloria Akuffo and directing urgent research and logistical coordination for a Commission of Inquiry.
“At around midnight in Ghana, approximately 2:00 a.m. in South Africa, he called me to discuss the unfolding situation,” Essuman recalled.
Ayawaso Commission
The next morning, with legal documentation finalised, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia signed and swore in the Commission of Inquiry.
The Commission, chaired by Mr. Justice Emile Short, with Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and former IGP Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong as members, commenced its work with Mr. Ernest Kofi Abotsi and Mr. Eric Osei-Mensah serving as Secretary and Counsel respectively.
Essuman highlighted his behind-the-scenes role in ensuring the Commission had the resources needed to carry out a transparent and time-bound investigation.
“The Commission’s proceedings were public and transparent. It reflected President Akufo-Addo’s desire to address the issue thoroughly and end the cycle of election-related violence in Ghana”
Kow Abaka Essuman, Legal Practitioner and Governance Researcher
The recommendations from the Commission informed the drafting of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), which was championed by Essuman in collaboration with the Attorney-General and the then Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
The law formally outlawed vigilante groups and named several of them in its schedule.
Political Costs and Warning
According to Essuman, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) complied with the law and disbanded its affiliated groups, despite the political cost.
However, he accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of failing to follow suit, claiming that NDC-aligned groups continued to operate under “different guises.”
He noted that the consequences of inaction were visible during the disputed collation of parliamentary results in December 2024 and again in the violent disruptions that marred the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun.
“The troubling incident involving the assault of a former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister raises fundamental questions: Who were these individuals? How did they emerge?”
Kow Abaka Essuman, Legal Practitioner and Governance Researcher
Essuman’s commentary concluded with a direct appeal to President Mahama to intervene. “If no action is taken now, there will be no moral or legal basis to dissuade others from reviving their own groups,” he warned, stressing that the Ghana Police Service’s failure to intervene during the Ablekuma North violence constituted a “dereliction of duty.”
“Mr. President, the ball is now in your court. Respectfully, act decisively; and act now,” he charged.
His call reinforces growing concerns about political violence in Ghana’s electoral process and the importance of institutional memory in shaping future responses.
As the nation looks back at Ayawaso and now at Ablekuma North, Essuman’s account serves as both a chronicle of action and a challenge to leadership in confronting lawlessness with the full force of constitutional authority.
