The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has assured the public of the Ghana Police Service’s readiness to provide a safe and secure environment for the upcoming by-election in Akwatia in the Eastern Region.
He gave the assurance after the Police Management Board (POMAB) visited the High-Risk Operation Training Centre at Akyerematen on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, to assess the preparedness of police personnel ahead of the polls.
The visit, according to the Service, formed part of broader measures to ensure maximum security and maintain law and order before, during, and after the election.
According to the IGP, the Police Service remains committed to safeguarding all stakeholders in the electoral process, including voters, electoral officers, political parties, and the media.
“We have brought men here, and they are trained on how to handle arms. As we are going to the election ground, we decided to come and sharpen our skills for the by-election.
“Today, they will move to Akwatia and assess all the threats just to let the country know that we are ready for the election, and all the threats we hear from social media have given us the room to prepare and to remove fear for the electorate in Akwatia that nobody can come here to cause any trouble,” he said.
On Tuesday, August 19, the Ghana Police Service held a meeting with political parties to review preparations for the Akwatia by-election, scheduled for September 2.
After the meeting, the NPP’s National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, urged the Police Service to act decisively against those involved in the recent electoral violence at Ablekuma North to restore confidence in security arrangements.
“We said that thugs who were linked to the NDC, who caused mayhem, their images are all over, the videos all over, and as we speak, the Ghana Police Service has not effected any decisive arrest. We saw a communique that stated that they have arrested two persons. We do not know of any update. Were they put before the court? Are they on remand?
“We don’t know anything, so we were very strong on this particular point. The IGP said that they are very serious about it and that we should even expect that by the close of today, some arrests will be made. If they want us to rely on these assurances, then they must work on what happened in Ablekuma North.
“The Ghana Police Service should give us that confidence that they have dealt with the Ablekuma North issue,” he stated.
The NDC, however, called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to strengthen security measures to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
The party’s Deputy Director of Elections and IT, Rashid Tanko-Computer, said the EC must ensure that individuals without accreditation, including former state officials, are barred from the inner perimeter of polling stations.
“We are very clear in our mind that we, the NDC, are committed to the peace plan and the promises they have put in place, but we were mindful of the activities of our opponents who will come in there with dangerous weapons. Recall what happened in Ablekuma North, which triggered all these problems.
“One of the leaders, Hawa Koomson, had pepper spray in her bag. We are telling them that they need to beef up security and make sure that the fact that you are a former MP or Minister, once you don’t have accreditation, you have no business at the polling station,” he stated.
