Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a NPP member of parliament for Manhyia South, has tackled the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, over his comments on the Ablekuma North violence.
According to the NPP MP, a woman, a journalist, where all assaulted, and Mahama Ayariga is saying it is child’s play.
Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah expressed strong disapproval of the majority leader’s remark.
He noted that Mahama Ayariga’s description of the chaos as children playing was inappropriate and also undermines the reset agenda that the NDC government promised Ghanaians.
Responding to the Majority Leader on the floor of parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah stated, “Today, we are being told that what happened in Ablekuma North is child’s play, and it is coming from the Majority Leader.
A journalist was slapped, and we are saying it’s child’s play? A woman was assaulted, and we are saying it is child’s play? We are not surprised.
Are we saying to the many children who are watching us that when we promised the people of this country reset, we were going to pursue retributive politics? This is not what you promised,” he stated.
Mahama Ayariga’s comments
Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, has downplayed the Ablekuma North violence.
The majority claimed the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun violence is just child’s play compared to what happened in the last election in his constituency.
According to the majority leader, the Ablekuma North chaos was just children playing.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga recounted his experience during the 2024 election.
Mahama Ayariga stated, “I have experienced them in real violent situations in elections. The week before this last election, there were persistent gunshots in my constituency, and I couldn’t even come out of my house.
Persistent, not what you people are doing. Not this child’s play at Ablekuma. This is children playing”.
Minority demands on Ablekuma North Chaos
The minority in parliament are demanding an investigation into the chaos and also the removal of Dr Hannah Bissiw-Kotei and Malik Basintale for allegedly endorsing violence during the Ablekuma North election re-run.
The NPP minority is demanding that John Mahama remove Dr Hanna Louisa Bisiw-Kotei from the position of Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund.
Also, the removal of Malik Basintale as the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
According to the minority, the two government appointees celebrated and endorsed the violence that happened at the Ablekuma North rerun.
Background
Chaos that erupted at the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11.
A group of unidentified men stormed the Methodist church polling centre, disrupting the process and creating chaos.
The machomen stormed the polling station in a coordinated manner, causing panic among voters and electoral officials.
The former lawmaker Hawa Koomson was assaulted.
In a viral video of the chaotic scene, Hawa Koomson was kicked in the groin and fell to the ground with the thugs kicking her on the ground until the police intervened.
Despite the number of police officers at the scene, they were unable to prevent the chaos.
In a polling station, NPP’s Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei Asamoah was also assaulted.
