Ablekuma North re-run: Police officer allegedly assaults journalist, Accra Mayor testifies
A journalist with GH One Television, Banahene Agyekum, was allegedly assaulted by a police officer while voting was ongoing in the re-run of the parliamentary elections in Ablekuma North. The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, who said he witnessed the incident, called for the said Police officer to be replaced because, in his view, ” he has a hot temper.”
Also commenting on this incident on TV3’s New Day, legal practitioner Abraham Amaliba called on the Inspector General of Police to withdraw the officer.
“You have powers of arrest, you don’t have powers to be beating people. If the IGP is listening, he should withdraw the man,” he said.
TV3’s George Kwenning, who was on the grounds, reported that “The district police commander just arrived at the station for first-hand information on the journalist-police altercation.”
Voting is currently underway in 19 selected polling stations across the Ablekuma North Constituency in a partial election rerun that will finally determine its Member of Parliament.
The election pits the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, against the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
3news.com is on the ground and will be providing live updates, results, and analysis as the day unfolds.
The election became necessary to break a seven-month deadlock that has left the constituency without parliamentary representation since the December 7th General Election.
The stakes: A numbers game
The race is exceptionally tight, making the outcome of today’s rerun critical. From the 262 polling stations already collated, the results stand as follows:
NPP (Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh): 32,512
NDC (Ewurabena Aubynn): 32,464
Difference: 48 votes
With the thin margin above, the two candidates are expecting that the 6,863 expected voters across the 19 polling stations will ultimately decide the winner. Contrasting strategies and unwavering resolve
Following the Electoral Commission’s decision for a partial rerun of some polling stations in Ablekuma North, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) vehemently rejected this directive, asserting that their parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, had already secured victory in the December election by a margin of 414 votes.
Their attempt to halt the rerun through a court injunction proved unsuccessful, as the application was dismissed on July 9th for being unmeritorious.
Despite the party’s official boycott, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie defiantly confirmed her intention to contest, telling journalists on July 10th, “I am contesting. We are fully prepared. We are going for this contest.”
Her stance garnered significant backing from a segment of constituency executives, current and former NPP Members of Parliament, and dedicated party faithful, who actively campaigned on her behalf.
Conversely, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has maintained a resolute front, firmly believing their candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, legitimately won the December election and expressing confidence in a decisive victory in the rerun.
NDC party executives and Members of Parliament have campaigned vigorously, urging constituents to turn out in strong support.
Background of the Rerun
The impasse began during the collation of results last December when, according to the Electoral Commission (EC), political party supporters besieged the collation centre and destroyed an unspecified number of original result forms (Pink Sheets).
This led to the use of 37 scanned Pink Sheets, provided by the NPP, to continue the collation process.
The NDC objected, insisting on a full rerun in all 37 polling stations where scanned copies were used.
The NPP, however, argued that since NDC agents had verified the scanned copies, the results should stand.
By: Laud Nartey
