Defence Minister rules out military presence in Ablekuma North rerun

The Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has ruled out military deployment in today’s parliamentary election rerun in the Ablekuma North Constituency.

Dr. Boamah announced the decision on his Facebook page, stressing that the Ghana Police Service will take full charge of security throughout the voting process.

He said the move aims to promote peace, democracy, and a citizen-friendly environment at the polls.

Quoting his post, Dr. Boamah said, “To ensure a peaceful and democratic process, the Ghana Police Service will be fully in charge of security for today’s elections in Ablekuma North Constituency. There will be no military deployment.”

The Defence Minister recalled incidents of electoral violence, including the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election and the killing of eight civilians during the 2020 general elections. He said these experiences highlight the need to keep military forces away from civil electoral matters.

He called on Ghanaians to learn from those past events and prioritize the safety and security of citizens.

Dr. Boamah expressed full confidence in the professionalism of the police service and urged voters to exercise their civic duty peacefully. He also encouraged the use of body cameras and transparency in the electoral process.

The Electoral Commission is conducting the rerun in 19 polling stations following unresolved issues in the December 7, 2024, parliamentary election that left Ablekuma North without a representative in the 9th Parliament.