Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has made an impassioned appeal to Ghana’s political leadership to adopt a
Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has made an impassioned appeal to Ghana’s political leadership to adopt a new political convention aimed at ending recurring violence during by-elections.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, the leaders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, the Ghana Peace Council, and the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, Kwabena Agyepong described the current trend as a threat to the peace and dignity of Ghana’s democracy.
His call comes in the wake of the recent July 2025 rerun of some polling station elections in Ablekuma North, which, he noted, bore “shocking parallels” to past violent incidents.
According to him, these included the presence of state-linked armed groups, hesitation by law enforcement to act decisively, the targeting of high-profile political figures, and a post-violence atmosphere dominated by blame games that impede justice.
Agyepong traced the problem to a disturbing pattern of electoral violence that has plagued several by-elections over the years.
He cited notorious cases such as Atiwa, Chereponi, Akwatia, and Ayawaso West Wuogon, where armed vigilantes and masked party operatives unleashed chaos, causing injuries, loss of life, and significant reputational damage to Ghana’s standing as a peaceful democracy in West Africa.
“These are not distant memories,” Agyepong stressed, adding that the events in Ablekuma North confirm that the cycle of violence is recurring, eroding public trust in the electoral process.
He warned that “democracy cannot flourish amid fear, violence, and impunity.”
As a solution, Agyepong proposed a radical yet practical reform — that when a parliamentary seat becomes vacant, the party that previously held the seat should be allowed to select a successor through its internal democratic process rather than holding a public by-election.
He argued that this would save public funds, protect lives, and halt the escalating cycle of partisan clashes.
“This approach acknowledges our peculiar political reality and deals head-on with the disturbing issues we face,” he wrote, adding that it also creates space for consensus-building among political actors and promotes peaceful coexistence.
Agyepong called on all stakeholders to rise above partisan considerations and embrace national consensus, suggesting that recent political flashpoints such as Akwatia and Tamale Central could be the starting point for piloting the proposed convention.
He urged political leaders to inspire hope across communities and prove that politics can safeguard, rather than undermine, Ghana’s democracy.
“Let us break this destructive cycle together, not with empty speeches, but with courageous, consensual reform,” he concluded, warning that the future of Ghana’s democratic legacy depends on bold action taken today.
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