Dr Kwabena Arthur Kennedy, a prominent New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart and former presidential aspirant, has lashed out at the police for what he described as blatant inaction during the violent disruptions that marred the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Monday, 14 July, Dr Kennedy expressed deep frustration over the treatment of voters and media personnel during the election, describing the events as “a national embarrassment.”

“Ghanaian citizens got up to go and vote, media personnel got up to go and cover the election, and we saw assault,” he said.

“What we saw is something for which there ought to be apologies,” he added.

Dr Kennedy dismissed calls for further investigations into the incident, arguing that the available evidence is already overwhelming.

“In actual fact, nobody ought to be telling us about investigations. There ought to be arrests,” he insisted.

He described the violence as shocking, criticising the police for failing in their duty.

“We saw a video in which somebody dived at a woman like he was a Kung Fu fighter. We saw policemen standing by while people were assaulted; some of them walked away,” Dr Kennedy recounted.

He warned that such incidents have far-reaching implications, especially as the nation heads towards the 2026 general elections.

“If the national police cannot protect people at a polling station, how are they going to protect us during national elections?” he questioned.

Background

Tensions flared at the St. Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station in Odorkor, part of the Ablekuma North constituency, when a group of unidentified thugs, reportedly arriving in a pickup truck with motorbike escorts, stormed the polling station in a coordinated attack.

The violent incident sent voters, election officials, and security personnel fleeing in panic, raising serious concerns about election security and the growing menace of political vigilantism.