Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant, Dr. Arthur Kennedy, has sharply criticised the Mahama-led administration over the violent incidents that marred the parliamentary rerun in Ablekuma North on July 11, 2025, questioning the silence of the President and the apparent inaction of security forces.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, July 14, Dr. Kennedy described the scenes of chaos, intimidation, and physical assaults during the rerun as deeply troubling, accusing the state of failing to protect its citizens and democratic institutions.
“What is the president doing about this?” he asked. “We need to stop talking and act. The government is responsible for security.”
The rerun, held in 19 polling stations, was meant to determine parliamentary representation after disputes following the December 2024 elections. Despite the NPP’s official boycott, their candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, contested and lost to the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn. However, the legitimacy of the process was overshadowed by violent confrontations, particularly at the St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station.
Dr. Kennedy expressed outrage at the brutality witnessed and the apparent lack of police intervention. He referenced viral footage showing a man attacking a woman “like a kung fu fighter” while officers looked on without intervening.
“We saw policemen standing by while people were assaulted. Some of them walked away,” he said. “And if the national police cannot protect people at a few polling stations, how will they protect us during a general election?”
His criticism extended to the broader political culture of blame-shifting and impunity. He rejected the notion that political retaliation is a solution: “An eye for an eye will leave everybody blind.”
Three journalists—Kwabena Agyekum Banahene (EIB Network), Salomey Martey (Multimedia Group), and Vida Wiafe (Amansan TV)—were among those assaulted while covering the election. In response, the Ghana Police Service interdicted an officer filmed slapping Banahene, but Dr. Kennedy dismissed such gestures as inadequate.
“There ought to be arrests. We don’t need statements; we need action,” he said. “No drop of Ghanaian blood is worth anybody’s ambitions.”
Dr. Kennedy’s remarks are part of a growing national outcry over political violence and the perceived failure of the state to uphold the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 2019 (Act 999). Despite repeated incidents in recent election cycles—six deaths in 2024 and eight in 2020—prosecutions remain rare, feeding public frustration and fear ahead of future elections.
He ended with a firm call to political leaders: “Governments must understand they are no longer partisans fighting for power. They are responsible for security in the state. People ought to be able to vote and return home safely. We must protect the vote—and the voter.”
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