Prof Aning: Violence at Ablekuma North rerun unfortunate but unsurprising
Renowned security analyst, Professor Kwesi Aning, has described the violence that disrupted the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun as “unfortunate but unsurprising,” pointing to Ghana’s history of failing to tackle electoral violence decisively.
The rerun was marred by chaos when armed men stormed several polling stations, attacking party agents, journalists, and even a former minister. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from political figures and civil society, with calls for stronger accountability and reforms.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, July 14, Prof. Aning expressed concern over Ghana’s recurring pattern of responding to electoral violence with short-lived symbolic actions instead of meaningful reforms.
“It was unfortunate, but I am not surprised because we establish commissions of enquiry, a report is written, the government issues a white paper… This has become a game of cyclical patterns of violence — talk, talk, drink tea, and then it is business as usual,” he stated.
Despite the outrage and promises from government officials, Prof. Aning remains skeptical about whether any significant changes will result from the latest incident.
“It was most unfortunate, but I wasn’t surprised at all, and I am really looking forward to what will happen in this particular case with all the strong statements coming from government ministers,” he said.
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