Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has dismissed the gravity of the violence that marred the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, describing it as minor compared to what he’s personally endured during elections in his constituency.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament in response to calls from the Minority for an investigation into the chaos, Ayariga said:
“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.”
His comments come after tensions flared during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, where some polling centres descended into chaos.
At St. Peter’s polling station, thugs reportedly attacked MP Mavis Hawa Koomson, causing a temporary halt in voting activities.
Elsewhere, NPP’s Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei Asamoah was allegedly assaulted, with viral videos showing him being beaten by unidentified men believed to be political operatives.
Despite the violent scenes and public outcry, Ayariga’s remarks appeared to downplay the severity of the Ablekuma incident, sparking mixed reactions from both sides of the House.
The Minority Caucus insists that the incident must be thoroughly investigated to deter future electoral violence and protect the democratic process.
However, Ayariga’s statement underscores a broader concern about the normalisation of election-related brutality across constituencies.
