The National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says the violence that marred the rerun of the partial Ablekuma North parliamentary elections should not be described as political violence.
The rerun, held across 19 polling stations on Friday, July 11, saw the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, win the seat with 34,090 votes, ending the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 28-year hold.
However, the process was overshadowed by violent incidents, including assaults on some members of the NPP, journalists, and ordinary voters.
But according to the former Member of Parliament for Odododiodioo, the act was specifically targeted at former Awutu Senya MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who he claims is notorious for meting out violence on others.
“I want us to look at what happened at Ablekuma North critically as an incident of vendetta rather than political violence because, apart from those attacks, there were no disturbances at any of the polling stations.
“I’m happy my brother just mentioned that the people involved have come out to say they went there specifically for Hawa Koomson. Why her? That’s the question we should ask. Why not any other NPP person? She has consistently visited violence on others,” Vanderpuye stated.
The former lawmaker argued that the violence could have been avoided if the former Fisheries Minister had been held accountable for her previous alleged acts of electoral violence.
“If the Akufo-Addo administration had investigated and prosecuted Hawa Koomson for her past involvement in electoral violence, we wouldn’t be here today. Many people have developed deep resentment toward her,” he added.
