Ghana’s democracy is under stress — not from the masses, but from those who have captured the levers of institutions. And no place is this more evident than the Ablekuma North Constituency, where political theft is being normalized in broad daylight.
Let’s not pretend this is about electoral justice. Since 1996, Ablekuma North has been a safe haven for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) — a stronghold of loyalty. But in the 2024 elections, when Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie was clearly coasting to victory, the NDC executed a calculated disruption plan. Thugs were dispatched to collapse the process. They burned down the public school that hosted the collation centre — a direct assault on evidence, order, and the will of the people.
And what did the Electoral Commission do? It secured a court order to complete collation under police protection. The police refused. Why? Because the state security is under NDC control — and the collation would not serve their interests.
Instead, the NDC pressed for a rerun in polling stations they dominate, not on grounds of fairness, but opportunism. A rerun designed not for fairness, but for control — where the terrain favors them and the outcome is manufactured.
Faced with this power play, the Electoral Commission — at least momentarily — found its spine. Deputy Commissioner Bossman Asare, in Parliament, clearly stated:
“There will be no rerun in Ablekuma North. We simply require security to declare the rightful winner.”
That was clarity. That was constitutional fidelity. Until the wind shifted.
Just days later, the EC buckled. In a sudden and disgraceful U-turn, it announced a rerun in 19 polling stations on July 11 — polling stations that conveniently favor the NDC. Why the reversal?
Here’s the answer: intimidation. After the EC took its stand, Asiedu Nketia erupted on air, demanding the removal of all EC commissioners. That wasn’t commentary — it was coercion. And the Electoral Commission, sadly, retreated into compliance.
But that wasn’t the final betrayal. Here’s what Ghanaians must know: NPP representatives at the IPAC meeting — the very forum where this travesty was sanctified — pandered to the whims of the EC and the NDC. Whether through silence, negligence, or sheer timidity, they allowed this compromise to pass. They now owe an urgent explanation to the party’s base, because the grassroots are angry, and rightly so. This is not strategy — this is surrender.
To the Electoral Commission, take this from the people of Ghana: No matter how accommodating you become to the NDC, they will not spare you. This rerun will not shield you from their wrath. In fact, you’ve just confirmed a key item on their political KPI — to control the EC or crush it. They will do both. Playing nice will not save you.
The rerun in Ablekuma North is not an exercise of democratic accountability — it is manipulation cloaked in procedural legitimacy. But Ghanaians are watching. And the narrative is no longer in your control. Whatever the outcome, one truth now echoes loudly and unmistakably: elections in Ghana are no longer won by the free will of the people, but increasingly through coercion and brazen procurement. And in this descent, the NDC administration stands as the guiltiest party.
This is no longer about a single seat. It is about whether violence, intimidation, and institutional capture will be allowed to override the will of the Ghanaian voter.
If a seat this historically clear can be hijacked through brute force and bureaucratic cowardice, what seat is truly safe?
Justice A. Sarbah
Political Observer | Voice of National Conscience
