Ablekuma North Election Violence: Eight Men Convicted to Pay GH¢6,000 Each as Punishment

• The eight men who took part in the violent disturbances during the Ablekuma North by-election have received their sentences
• The suspects pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assault, and three counts of assault at the Circuit Court in Accra
• The Deputy Organiser of NPP, Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei and a trader, Majeed Mohammed Saana, were also assaulted during the election

The eight men who took part in the violent disturbances during the Ablekuma North by-election have been convicted and sentenced by the Accra Circuit Court.

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Each convict was ordered to pay a fine of 500 penalty units, GH¢6,000, or, in default, serve a 24-month prison term.

The convicts, Mohammed Abubakari, Tijani Mahmudu, Prince Dzakpasu, Anas Mohammed, Mohammed Hamda, Darko Otibu Samuel, Musah Muntari, and Ali Saeed were sentenced on August 29, 2025.

The suspects pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assault and three counts of assault at the Circuit Court in Accra on August 26.

The victims in the case were Hawa Mavis Koomson, the former Minister of State and ex-MP for Awutu Senya East; Majeed Mohammed Saana, a trader; and Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei, Deputy Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

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What happened during the election violence?

In the course of visiting the polling centres, during the July 11 election rerun, Koomson was attacked at the Methodist Church Polling Station.

Kwei was also outside the polling centre without any provocation.

The victims were taken to the Odorkor Police Station, where they filed an official complaint.

The police service came under scrutiny because of its lack of action amid the disturbances and pockets of violence that marred the Ablekuma North election rerun.

Following the incident, the Interior Ministry assured that the police would learn from the mistakes.

Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak also called the violence a scar on Ghana's democracy during an address in July.

The rerun was held in 19 polling stations following the Electoral Commission’s decision to nullify the results of the original December 2024 election due to widespread concerns over electoral irregularities and the submission of unauthenticated pink sheets.

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The commission’s move to withhold final results was based on formal complaints citing unsigned result forms, discrepancies in vote tallies, and procedural violations during the collation process.

Former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited Koomson on July 13 to check on her health following the attack.

Bawumia had also called on President John Mahama to take action over the violence witnessed during the election.

How did the Ablekuma North election end?

In the rerun conducted earlier this month, YEN.com.gh reported Ewurabena Aubynn secured a narrow victory with 34,090 votes, defeating the NPP's Akua Afriyie, who got 33,881 votes.

Her victory made her the first NDC candidate to win the Ablekuma North seat.

The Minority had staged a walkout ahead of the swearing-in because they were not allowed to make a statement, presumed to be in protest of the violence.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh