Why is President Mahama Silent on the Ablekuma North Violence?

Accra, Ghana (14 July 2025) – Ghana is still reeling from the brutal violence that disrupted the Ablekuma North by-election rerun. Scenes of armed men storming polling stations, dragging voters, and chasing rival agents have shocked the public. But what makes this episode particularly troubling is the identity of the alleged attackers — they were not masked National Security operatives or rogue police units. This time, the violence is widely believed to have been carried out by individuals aligned with the ruling National Democratic Congress.

And yet, President John Dramani Mahama has said nothing.

Civil society groups, political figures, and even members of his own party are struggling to understand the silence. The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called for firm presidential condemnation. CODEO, which observed the election, criticised the failure of security agencies to respond promptly and demanded that political actors, including the President, speak out against the violence.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, one of the strongest voices of opposition, was unflinching in his rebuke. In a statement carried by MyJoyOnline, he said:

“What we have to be clear about is that the people who have perpetrated these acts have been caught on video. I call on the President to take action, bring the perpetrators to book. Should they not be brought to book, we will not forget. They will be brought to book no matter how long it takes. We want peace in this country.”

His remarks landed hard — especially because they echo the very words Mahama once used to criticise a former government when violence was linked to state actors.

Eyewitness accounts, video footage, and preliminary police reports suggest that the chaos was instigated by known faces in the NDC youth wing who stormed polling centres to intimidate voters and disrupt the count. In one video circulating widely, a man in an NDC-branded T-shirt is seen slapping an EC official as others shout party slogans. In another clip, polling agents are chased with chairs as voters scatter in panic.

The NDC’s own internal support group, the Gallant Cadres, has condemned the violence, acknowledging that the perpetrators were closely linked to the party. “This is not who we are,” they said in a statement. “The NDC must not be seen to condone political thuggery. We urge the President to publicly disassociate himself from these actions.”

So far, he has not.

That silence is in stark contrast to his earlier posture. Only two months ago, President Mahama reopened investigations into the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence, where National Security operatives shot and wounded voters in 2019. He also pledged to seek justice for those killed during the 2020 elections, including incidents in Techiman South and Odododiodio.

Back then, Mahama declared, “We cannot build a democracy where people are killed or injured simply because they chose to vote.” Those words now echo hollow as his administration looks the other way while party loyalists attack their fellow citizens at the ballot box.

Some observers say the silence may be politically calculated. Condemning the violence would mean confronting members of his own base. But the cost of silence, many argue, is higher. Without a strong stance from the President, Ghana risks normalising political violence — not as a tool of the state, but as a weapon of the ruling party.

In a country that prides itself on its democratic credentials, these are dangerous waters. The Electoral Commission has remained tight-lipped. The police have promised to pursue suspects, but have not named names or made arrests. Meanwhile, the victims — mostly opposition supporters and EC officials — are nursing injuries, some still traumatised by the chaos.

Ahead of the upcoming Akwatia by-election, anxiety is growing. If Ablekuma North becomes a blueprint, violence may no longer come in the uniform of security forces, but in party colours. And if the President cannot speak now, when his own party’s name is tied to the bloodshed, what moral authority will he have when others commit the same crimes?

President Mahama built his second political life on the promise of justice. This is the time to prove it. Ghana is watching