The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu, has issued a strong warning to individuals or groups planning to foment violence during the upcoming Akwatia by-election, stressing that the Ghana Police Service is fully prepared to maintain law and order before, during, and after the polls.
Speaking at the Police Training School at Kyerematen in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, COP Yohonu assured Ghanaians that the security agencies have mobilised adequate resources and personnel to ensure the smooth conduct of the by-election.
“We want to assure Ghanaians that the police are ready to handle any type of thing that may come in the Akwatia by-election. We are ready with the men.
“We have the men who can handle this situation and then our eyes are red for Akwatia, and nobody, nobody should think of coming to cause trouble”.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu
His remarks come at a crucial time as political tensions rise ahead of the by-election in Akwatia, a constituency with a history of heated electoral contests. The by-election, set to be contested primarily between the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has already generated intense interest from both political parties and their supporters.
The IGP’s warning follows a meeting he held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, with representatives of the two major political parties to deliberate on the security arrangements for the election.
During the engagement, COP Yohonu urged both parties to conduct their campaigns peacefully and refrain from mobilising individuals to cause disturbances at polling stations.“No political party should mobilise men to come and foment trouble, and nobody should have in mind the intention of snatching a ballot box,” he cautioned.
Adequate Provisions
According to him, the police have made adequate provisions to neutralise any attempt to disrupt the process. He explained that officers have been given clear instructions to act decisively against offenders, emphasising that lawbreakers will face immediate consequences.
“What I told them is that we are going in with Black Marias. Black Maria is the prison on wheels. We have a truck that is well prepared to keep people who cause trouble. We keep them in, and then finally, we discharge them at the police cells.”
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu
The IGP’s stern caution reflects the Ghana Police Service’s determination to avert violence and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral processes, which in the past have occasionally been marred by disputes and confrontations.
Akwatia, in particular, is remembered for tense electoral showdowns, making the upcoming by-election a test case for Ghana’s democratic resilience and the effectiveness of the security apparatus.
COP Yohonu’s engagement with the leadership of the NDC and NPP is a proactive step toward fostering cooperation between the security agencies and the political actors directly involved in the by-election.
By warning against ballot box snatching and other electoral offences, the police are sending a clear message that law enforcement will not tolerate infractions, regardless of the perpetrator’s political affiliation.
However, the success of the Akwatia by-election will depend not only on the professionalism of the police but also on the commitment of political parties and their supporters to adhere to the rules of engagement.
With Ghana’s 2024 general election still fresh in memory, the by-election serves as another opportunity to test the maturity of Ghana’s democracy and the credibility of its institutions.
For the IGP, however, the message is simple: the police are ready, and those who plan to create chaos will face the full rigours of the law. His words were delivered with a tone of firmness and urgency, leaving no doubt about the stance of the police service.
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