The Ablekuma North violence has drawn sharp criticism from Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a leading New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator, who has publicly expressed his frustration over the government’s silence on the issue.
Speaking on the disturbing events that marred the rerun parliamentary election in Ablekuma North, Aboagye emphasized the need for national condemnation and swift action from both law enforcement agencies and the presidency.
He noted his disappointment over what he describes as a glaring absence of leadership on the matter. He stressed that the violence witnessed should have been swiftly addressed by President Mahama himself, arguing that it only takes minimal effort to acknowledge such serious incidents.
“It’s been how many days? Six days. And the president is yet to make a simple comment on this. Just a simple comment. I mean, just make a simple tweet.
“You don’t need to be in Ghana to get internet to make a Facebook post. If the president is listening, I will urge him to condemn the incident. It will be blood on his conscience if he doesn’t do it. Because I will not stop talking about it.”
Dennis Miracles Aboagye
He also highlighted that the president does not need to be physically present in the country to make a public statement, emphasizing that inaction at this point would weigh heavily on the president’s conscience.
Aboagye further warned that political violence is dangerously easy to execute and should never be trivialized. He maintained that “hiring hoodlums is the easiest thing any political party can do.”
The security risk, he pointed out, extends to everyone, including political leaders themselves. His message was clear: all forms of political aggression must be discouraged, and peaceful elections safeguarded.
At the core of his argument, Aboagye distanced himself from any narrative that frames him as someone who fails to condemn violence when it occurs.
Reflecting on past incidents such as Ayawaso West Wuogon, he noted that he had consistently spoken out against such acts, pointing out that violence should never be normalized, regardless of political affiliation.
Retaliation Claims In Ablekuma North Violence Rejected
The NPP communicator was critical of attempts to justify the Ablekuma North violence as retaliation for previous incidents, particularly Ayawaso West Wuogon.
He rejected such reasoning, noting that political violence has a long history in Ghana, citing past incidents in Talensi, Triponi, Etiwa, and Akwetia.
According to him, framing the recent attack as revenge undermines the collective goal of building a peaceful electoral system.
He pointed out that “before Ayawaso West Wuogon, there was Talenci, there was Etiwa, there was Akwetia, arguing that such logic implies that even more violence is justified, a dangerous precedent.
Reflecting on past events, Aboagye recalled how the NPP, during the Etiwa elections, decided to adopt self-protection measures due to recurring attacks.
He claimed that since that period, no political party has been able to match the NPP’s strength at polling stations.
He added that while the party once prepared to defend itself against violent attacks, a shift came in 2019, where leadership decided to dismantle such self-defense structures to prioritize peace and electoral integrity.
Police Inaction Questioned After Election Violence
Addressing the perpetrators of the Ablekuma North incident, Aboagye claimed that those responsible are not faceless criminals but well-known individuals, some of whom reportedly work in government agencies like the DVLA.
He condemned the police for failing to act despite having personnel present at the polling station during the attack.
He described it as a shameful display of inaction, emphasizing that “you have 60 policemen at a polling station. And you stood there for one woman to be beaten in that manner.”
Aboagye criticized the Ghana Police Service for issuing what he described as weak and ineffective statements about investigations.
He argued that the situation does not warrant lengthy probes, given that many of the culprits are clearly visible in video footage and social media posts, some even boasting about their actions online.
He questioned the effectiveness of current policing, citing the lack of arrests six days after the violence.
Frustrated with the apparent inaction, Aboagye proposed a radical solution: the establishment of a self-protection committee within the NPP.
According to him, if authorities fail to address the situation before the upcoming party conference on Saturday, he will formally recommend the creation of such a committee. This body would serve the specific role of protecting party members and ordinary citizens during elections.
He argued that no citizen should have to fear violence at polling stations. If the state fails in its basic duty to protect its citizens, he noted, political parties will be forced to take matters into their own hands to safeguard their members.
“If between now and Saturday, the Ghana police and the president do not act, I would lift my hands at the conference, and I am going to recommend that we have a self-protection committee.”
Dennis Miracles Aboagye
As the dust settles from the violence at Ablekuma North, the nation watches to see whether government and law enforcement will act decisively.
The case serves as a critical reminder of the need for stronger institutional responses to election-related violence, not just from political parties but from the security agencies entrusted with upholding peace.
In the coming days, attention will likely focus on whether the president addresses the issue publicly and whether the police will make any arrests related to the attacks.
What remains certain is that public pressure and scrutiny over the handling of the Ablekuma North violence continue to mount.
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