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”.
Nevertheless, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, expressed disapproval of the majority leader’s remark.
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.
In addition, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, fired shots at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in parliament.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, the NPP endorsed violence and is today calling for investigations into acts of violence.
He emphasised that those who condemned violence in the past and are doing so now are the ones to call for an investigation.
Kwakye Ofosu asserted that the NPP normalised electoral violence during their eight years in office.
The lawmaker further called on the NPP minority to demonstrate sincerity and consistency.
Speaking on the floor of parliament, Kwakye Ofosu stated, “A party that endorsed violence during elections cannot come today and call for investigations into acts of violence. It is those of us who condemned it in the past and are condemning it today who can make such a call.
“Their officials are on record as having vowed that there will be violence in Akwatia. Even as they call for action to be taken, they are threatening violence,” he stated.
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 different place, NPP’s Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei Asamoah was also assaulted.
