Dr Kwabena Arthur Kennedy, a respected figure within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a former presidential aspirant, has delivered a blistering critique of the Ghana Police Service, accusing them of standing idle as chaos unfolded during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11.
Appearing on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, July 14, Dr Kennedy condemned the violent scenes witnessed at the St. Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station in Odorkor and described the police’s handling of the situation 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 stated, visibly outraged.
He rejected the suggestion that more investigations are needed to address the incident, calling instead for immediate action. “In actual fact, nobody ought to be telling us about investigations. There ought to be arrests.”
Recounting specific moments from the violence, Dr Kennedy expressed disbelief at how police officers reportedly failed to intervene.
“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.”
He warned that the implications of such law enforcement failures could be severe, especially with Ghana’s 2026 general elections approaching.
“If the national police cannot protect people at a polling station, how are they going to protect us during national elections?” he asked.
The violent incident in question involved a group of unidentified assailants arriving in a pickup truck and on motorbikes to forcibly disrupt voting. The attack led to panic among voters, journalists, and election officials, further heightening public alarm about political vigilantism and the credibility of Ghana’s electoral processes.
As public outcry grows, Dr Kennedy’s remarks have intensified calls for immediate accountability and structural reform within the nation’s security apparatus.
