The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is approaching the Akwatia by-election with a noticeable sense of trepidation, a fear that seems to stem from the ghosts of its own recent past.
Party officials are publicly raising the alarm, warning of a potential replay of the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, an event which has become synonymous with political violence in Ghana.
The Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election was a grim spectacle. Unidentified, masked men, later revealed to be state security operatives, disrupted polling stations, leaving a trail of injuries and a deep scar on the country’s democratic fabric.
The fallout led to the establishment of the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry, whose findings and recommendations were meant to prevent a recurrence of such violence.
However, the then-NPP government was widely criticised for its half-hearted response to the Commission’s report. Recommendations included the reprimand of Bryan Acheampong, then Minister of State for National Security, and the prosecution of several individuals, including Ernest “Double” Akomea and Mohammed Sulemana, for various offences.
Colonel Mike Opoku was also cited for poor leadership, while DSP Samuel Kojo Azugu was to be removed for his failure to control his team. The slow and selective implementation of these recommendations raised serious questions about the government’s commitment to accountability and electoral integrity.
Now, in a striking twist of political irony, the NPP finds itself on the other side of the equation. The party’s National Youth Organiser, Salam Mustapha, has publicly called on the police to be on high alert, alleging that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) plans to deploy “hoodlums” disguised in police uniforms to sow chaos.
Speaking to Channel One, Mustapha claimed, “We are picking up that some hoodlums from Greater Accra, Ashanti Region are preparing to adorn police uniforms and embark on nefarious operations.
That has come to our attention. We are putting that to the police.” He further demanded that all police officers on duty should wear identifiable name tags and refrain from covering their faces—a direct nod to the masked operatives who dominated the scenes at Ayawaso.
This pre-emptive alarm from the NPP is telling. It suggests that the party is not just concerned about the NDC’s tactics, but also about the potential for their own past actions to be used against them. The calls for transparency and accountability in the security apparatus, which were largely ignored in the wake of the Ayawaso report, are now being championed by the very party that once downplayed their importance.
The Akwatia by-election is shaping up to be more than just a contest for a parliamentary seat; it is a test of Ghana’s political maturity and a stark reminder that the shadows of past mistakes can linger, haunting those who cast them.
The police, and particularly the Inspector General of Police (IGP), are now under immense pressure to ensure a peaceful and credible process, free from the kind of electoral thuggery that the NPP now fears will be turned on them.
By PrInce Ahenkorah
