Hawa Koomson's Attackers Plead Guilty After Ablekuma North Election Violence

• Eight suspects pleaded guilty over the attack on former Awutu Senya East MP, Hawa Koomson, and other NPP MPs during the Ablekuma North election
• The suspects pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assault, and three counts of assault at the Circuit Court in Accra
• The Deputy Organiser of NPP, Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei and a trader, Majeed Mohammed Saana, were also assaulted during the election

Eight people have been convicted for assaulting former Awutu Senya East MP, Hawa Koomson and two others during the Ablekuma North parliamentary election re-run.

The eight, who also assaulted Deputy Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei and Majeed Mohammed Saana, a trader from Alajo, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assault, and three counts of assault at the Circuit Court in Accra.

GNA reported that the suspects are Jijani Mahmudu, Prince Dzakpasu, Anas Mohammed, Mohammed Hamda, Darko Otibu Samuel, Musah Muntari, Ali Saeed, and Al Mohammed Abubakar.

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Sentencing has been scheduled for Friday, August 29, 2025.

In the meantime, they have been admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢80,000 with one surety each.

What happened during the election violence?

In the course of visiting the polling centres, during the July 11 election rerun, Koomson was attacked at the Methodist Church Polling Station.

Kwei was also outside the polling centre without any provocation.

The victims were taken to the Odorkor Police Station, where they filed an official complaint.

The police service came under scrutiny because of its lack of action amid the disturbances and pockets of violence that marred the Ablekuma North election rerun.

Following the incident, the Interior Ministry assured that the police had learned from their mistakes during the polls.

Interior Minister Muntanka Mohammed-Mubarak called the violence a scar on Ghana's democracy during an address in July.

The rerun was held in 19 polling stations following the Electoral Commission’s decision to nullify the results of the original December 2024 election due to widespread concerns over electoral irregularities and the submission of unauthenticated pink sheets.

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The commission’s move to withhold final results was based on formal complaints citing unsigned result forms, discrepancies in vote tallies, and procedural violations during the collation process.

In the rerun conducted earlier this month, Ewurabena Aubynn secured a narrow victory with 34,090 votes, defeating the NPP's Akua Afriyie, who got 33,881 votes.

Her victory made her the first NDC candidate to win the Ablekuma North seat.

The Minority had staged a walkout ahead of the swearing-in because they were not allowed to make a statement, presumed to be in protest of the violence.

Police seize guns in Akwatia ahead of by-election

YEN.com.gh reported that the Eastern South Regional Police Command arrested 10 suspects and retrieved nine weapons in separate operations at Akwatia.

These actions by law enforcers were part of ongoing security operations ahead of the by-election in the Eastern Regional town.

The weapons seized by the police reportedly included eight pump-action guns and one locally manufactured single-barreled gun.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh