Kofi Bentil, the vice president of Imani Africa, has said the GH¢6,000 fine imposed on each of eight individuals convicted for violent acts during the Ablekuma North parliamentary election rerun is not a deterrent enough.
According to Kofi Bentil, the fine lacks the severity needed to curb political violence.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points programme on Saturday, August 30, 2025, Kofi Bentil stressed, “We need to treat political violence differently. It shouldn’t be a misdemeanour but aggravated assault. The fines imposed on the convicted eight are not deterrent enough”.
Kofi Bentil noted that the fines, totalling GH¢48,000 for all eight, are not enough to discourage future political violence.
He further called for stricter penalties to safeguard Ghana’s electoral process.
Also, the president of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has said the Ablekuma North violence convicts should have been punished a lot more.
Franklin Cudjoe expressed his dissatisfaction with the sentencing of eight men convicted for their involvement in violent disturbances.
According to Franklin Cudjoe, the eight men’s sentencing was too lenient to deter others from getting involved in acts of violence and electoral hooliganism.
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, August 30, Franklin Cudjoe stated, “I am not too sure and happy about the sentencing in the case of Ablekuma. I think they should have been punished a lot more.
So that people are deterred from getting involved in acts of violence and electoral hooliganism.”
Franklin Cudjoe’s comment comes following the Accra Circuit Court’s conviction and sentencing of perpetrators of the Ablekuma North re-run violent disturbances.
The Circuit Court ordered the eight men to pay a fine of 500 penalty units (GH¢6,000) or, in default, serve a 2-year prison term.
On Friday, August 29, 2025, the eight men all pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them.
They include Mohammed Abubakari, Tijani Mahmudu, Prince Dzakpasu, Anas Mohammed, Mohammed Hamda, Darko Otibu Samuel, Musah Muntari, and Ali Saeed (alias Bomba).
The Prosecutors narrated to the court that the accused person launched an unprovoked attack on Hawa Mavis Koomson, former Minister of State and former MP for Awutu Senya East; Majeed Mohammed Saana, a trader, and Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei, Deputy Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) while they were monitoring proceedings during the Ablekuma North re-run.
The case was presided over by his Honour Isaac Addo, began on Monday, August 26 and was fast-tracked after all the accused admitted their roles in the violence.
The eight people have been charged with conspiracy to commit assault and three counts of assault, with the trial concluding with their conviction and sentencing today.
Background
Chaos erupted at the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11, 2025.
A group of unidentified men stormed the Methodist church polling centre, disrupting the process and creating chaos.
The machomen stormed the polling station in a coordinated manner, causing panic among voters and electoral officials.
The former lawmaker, Hawa Koomson, was assaulted.
In a viral video of the chaotic scene, Hawa Koomson was kicked in the groin and fell to the ground with the thugs kicking her on the ground until the police intervened.
Despite the number of police officers at the scene, they were unable to prevent the chaos.
In a different place, NPP’s Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei Asamoah was also assaulted.
Banahene Agyekum, a journalist with GH One Television, was also slapped during the re-run of the parliamentary elections in Ablekuma North.
Meanwhile, Ewurabena Aubynn was sworn in on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, despite the minority staging a walkout.
The Ablekuma MP secured a narrow victory with 34,090 votes, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who acquired 33,881 votes.
Alban Bagbin, after the swearing-in of Ewurabena Aubynn, advised her to be diligent and humble, as four years is just a day.
He further urged her to be punctual, ever present in Parliament, calm, listen and learn from your colleagues.
Speaker Bagbin on the floor of parliament, urged Ewurabena Aubynn to be diligent and humble, as four years is just a day.