Mid-Year Budget: NPP MPs Walkout of Ato Forson’s Presentation Over Ablekuma-North Election Violence
The Minority in Parliament has walked out of the 2025 mid-year budget review in protest of the election violence during the Ablekuma North election rerun.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh had attempted to make a brief statement on the election violence but was stopped with an assurance that time would be made for him later.
Source: Facebook
Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said the New Patriotic Party caucus could not in good conscience participate in the budget proceedings while remaining silent on the election violence.
Legislators on the Majority side hooted at the NPP MPs as they stormed out of Parliament.
Some NPP members were attacked during the Ablekuma North election rerun.
The Minority in Parliament also staged a walkout ahead of the eventual swearing-in of Ewurabena Aubynn as Ablekuma North MP on July 22.
The Minority members were also upset at being denied the chance to speak before the ceremony.
Aubynn sworn in after parliamentary rerun
Aubynn’s swearing-in comes after a fiercely contested parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency.
The rerun was held in 19 polling stations on July 11 following the Electoral Commission’s decision to nullify the results of the original December 2024 election due to widespread concerns over electoral irregularities and the submission of unauthenticated pink sheets.
In the rerun conducted earlier this month, Aubynn secured a narrow victory with 34,090 votes, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who got 33,881 votes.
Her victory made her the first NDC candidate to win the Ablekuma North seat.
The NDC now holds 184 out of 275 seats in Parliament, alongside four independent MPs.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, thanked Ghanaians for giving the NDC the absolute majority in Parliament
During the rerun, over a dozen unidentified men stormed the St. Peter’s polling station, disrupting the voting process.
The violence also saw the assault of NPP members like Hawa Koomson, a former MP for Awutu Senya East and Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture; Dakoa Newman, a former MP for Okaikoi South, and Chris Lloyd, Deputy National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party.
Arrests made over Ablekuma North violence
YEN.com.gh reported that four arrests have been made in connection with the violence.
Police were criticised for their inaction during the election, with no arrests made in the immediate aftermath of the violence.
Source: YEN.com.gh
