The Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun held on Friday, July 11, 2025, was marred by violence, legal wrangling, and political defiance—but ultimately culminated in a historic victory for the National Democratic Congress (NDC). After months of electoral uncertainty, Ewurabena Aubynn emerged as the duly elected Member of Parliament, flipping a seat long considered a stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

🔁 Background: Why a Rerun Was Necessary

The rerun stemmed from unresolved disputes following the December 7, 2024, general elections. The Electoral Commission (EC) had initially collated results from 262 out of 281 polling stations. Still, irregularities, including missing endorsements on pink sheets and a fire at the Kwasheman Cluster of Schools, halted the process.

The EC later announced a rerun in 19 polling stations, citing the need for verified original pink sheets. This decision was contested by the NPP, which claimed its candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, had already won by a margin of 414 votes.

⚖️ Legal Challenge and Injunction Drama

In a bid to stop the rerun, Nana Akua Afriyie filed an ex parte injunction application at the Accra High Court. Her legal team argued that the EC’s decision violated a January 4, 2025, court ruling that had directed the Commission to collate results from 62 outstanding polling stations.

However, Justice Ali Baba Abature dismissed the application as “unmeritorious,” affirming the EC’s constitutional mandate to ensure representation for Ablekuma North. The court emphasized that any delay would disenfranchise constituents and that the EC could compensate the applicant if she succeeded in a future substantive case.

🧨 Election Day Chaos: Assault on Hawa Koomson

The rerun was overshadowed by violent clashes at the Odorkor Methodist Church polling station, where former Fisheries Minister and MP for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, was physically assaulted by unidentified thugs.

Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers arrived in a coordinated convoy of motorbikes and a pickup truck, overpowering security personnel. Koomson was reportedly kicked in the chest and groin, dragged on the ground, and later rescued by police. NPP candidate Nana Akua Afriyie and a female party agent were also injured in the melee15.

The Ghana Police Service has since interdicted an officer caught on video assaulting a journalist during the chaos.

🗳️ The Results: NDC’s Historic Win

Despite the violence and controversy, the EC successfully conducted the rerun across all 19 polling stations. Final certified results declared by Returning Officer Joseph Nii Kwartey Okpoti showed:

• Ewurabena Aubynn (NDC): 34,090 votes

• Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie (NPP): 33,881 votes

• Rejected ballots: 

With a margin of 209 votes, Aubynn’s victory marks the first time the NDC has won Ablekuma North since the inception of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.

🏛️ Political Implications

This win gives the NDC 184 seats in Parliament, securing a super majority that could enable constitutional amendments without opposition support. It also signals a shift in voter sentiment in Greater Accra, traditionally a battleground region.

For the NPP, the loss is a blow to morale and exposes internal divisions, especially after Afriyie defied the party’s official boycott to contest the rerun.

📣 Reactions and Next Steps

In her victory speech, Ewurabena Aubynn called for unity and pledged to prioritize youth employment, sanitation, and women’s empowerment. Civil society groups and electoral watchdogs have demanded investigations into the violence and called for reforms to safeguard future elections.

The EC is expected to gazette the results, officially ending a seven-month parliamentary vacancy in Ablekuma North.