Sam George hits back at Bawumia over Ablekuma North violence remarks
The Minister for Communications and Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has criticised former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia following his condemnation of the violence that disrupted the Ablekuma North parliamentary election rerun.
In a strongly worded social media post on Friday, Mr George questioned Dr Bawumia’s moral authority to speak against electoral violence, invoking the former Vice-President’s silence during the widely condemned 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election clashes.
“Someone should tell Bawumia to shut up. What did he say about Ayawaso West Wuogon in 2019?” the minister posted, referencing the violent incident where opposition supporters were assaulted by national security operatives.
His reaction follows comments made by Dr Bawumia in an interview with JoyNews, in which the NPP presidential candidate described the incidents at the St Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station in Odorkor as “very disturbing.”
“This is not the democracy that we want to see in Ghana. Our supporters are being attacked by thugs in the presence of the police who have been unable to protect them,” Dr Bawumia said. He warned that the normalisation of political violence could prove dangerous for Ghana’s democratic stability. “This will be a recipe for disaster if each political party raises its own army,” he cautioned.
Dr Bawumia further called on President John Mahama to act swiftly in ensuring accountability. “I call on the President to take action to bring the perpetrators to book. We will not forget what has happened. This is not the democracy we want to see,” he said.
But Mr George dismissed Bawumia’s comments as politically selective. He accused the NPP leader of failing to speak out during similar incidents under the previous administration, particularly the Ayawaso West Wuogon incident, which drew national and international criticism.
The political back-and-forth comes on the heels of violent scenes during the Electoral Commission’s rerun of the parliamentary election in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North. The rerun was ordered following irregularities in the December 7, 2024 general elections.
Eyewitnesses reported that a group of unidentified men stormed the polling centre at St Peter’s Methodist Church in Odorkor, attacking party agents, voters, and even political leaders. Former Fisheries Minister and ex-MP Mavis Hawa Koomson was among the victims, reportedly thrown to the ground and assaulted before police intervened. NPP parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie and a female party agent also sustained injuries.
The violence has sparked outrage, with civil society organisations, media stakeholders, and election observers calling for investigations and stricter safeguards to prevent future disruptions.
