Ablekuma North Rerun Chaos: Bawumia’s Comments are Dangerous – Security Expert Cautions

Security Expert Nana Osei Ofori has raised serious concerns over former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s comments following the recent electoral violence at Ablekuma North.

Dr. Bawumia, strongly condemned the violent incidents that marred the Ablekuma North constituency parliamentary rerun on Friday, describing the chaos as a serious threat to Ghana’s democracy.

Reacting to the disturbing scenes of physical assaults and disruptions at the polling station—including the attack on former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson—Dr. Bawumia warned that the normalization of political violence could plunge the country into a dangerous path.

“This will be a recipe for disaster if each political party will raise its own army,” he cautioned.

former Vice President called on President John Mahama to ensure that those responsible for Friday’s violent attacks are swiftly identified and held accountable.

“I call on the President to take action to bring the perpetrators to book,” he said.

“We will not forget what has happened. This is not the democracy we want to see.”

Speaking on the Ghana Se Sen morning show with Kwame Tanko on Lawson TV/Radio, he described Bawumia’s remarks as “dangerous” and warned that such statements could further escalate political tensions ahead of the 2024 general elections.

According to Ofori, the Ablekuma North rerun, which involved only 19 polling centers, was marred by unacceptable levels of violence, including the reported forceful ejection of a man from his home.

He expressed concern that Ghana’s democracy is under threat, stating, “Ghana is sitting on a time bomb.”

The security analyst strongly criticized the Ghana Police Service for what he described as a failure to act swiftly and decisively. “With just 19 polling centers, the police could have deployed adequately and arrested the attackers immediately,” he said. “Waiting for tensions to cool before issuing a statement sends the wrong message and encourages impunity.”

He also criticized the assault and the handling of Hawa Koomson’s involvement, insisting that she has served as a cabinet minister before and should not have been treated that way.

Ofori further warned that if such violence is allowed to go unchecked, it could provoke retaliation in future elections

“Do you think the opposition will sit quietly and allow this to happen again?” he asked. He noted that the Ablekuma incident has already sparked fear among voters in Akwatia ahead of an impending by-election.

Commenting on Dr. Bawumia’s reaction—where he condemned the violence and called on President John Mahama to take action, while cautioning that the NPP “will remember” if nothing is done—Ofori said those comments were potentially inflammatory.

“Those words are dangerous and could deepen the already fragile political atmosphere,” he cautioned.

He concluded by urging that police officers be well-armed, properly resourced, and proactive in securing electoral processes to protect Ghana’s peace and democratic integrity.