Why Paul Boateng Says Ablekuma North Arrests Aren’t Progress

Security consultant Paul Boateng has cast doubt on claims of progress following the arrest of two individuals linked to the violent attacks that disrupted the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, insisting that real accountability will only come through prosecution and sentencing.

Mr. Boateng questioned the significance of the arrests, recalling similar incidents in the past that have gone unpunished.

“I don’t see this as progress, I don’t see it as anything because we’ve seen this over and over again,” he on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey.

“We saw those who raided the Regional Liaison office in Kumasi during Akufo-Addo’s time. What happened to them? Arrest is different, prosecution is also different.”

The violence occurred on July 11, 2025, during the rerun of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary primaries in the Ablekuma North constituency.

According to eyewitnesses, assailants in a pickup truck stormed the St. Peter’s Society Polling Station at Odokor, attacking Deputy National Organiser Chris Asamoah and Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson. The attackers reportedly overpowered police officers at the scene.

Meanwhile, in a statement released by the Ghana Police Service on July 23 and signed by Superintendent Juliana Obeng, the two suspects — Musah Muntari, 46, and Ali Saeed, also known as Mboma, 43 — are said to be assisting with ongoing investigations.

While police have assured the public that efforts are underway to arrest all individuals involved, Boateng maintains that unless these efforts lead to courtroom trials and sentencing, they cannot be considered a step forward.

“Until these guys are brought to book with regard to sending them to court, pronounce the judgement, sentence to them — without that, I don’t see this as anything that we can say there is progress,” he stressed.

Indeed, Paul Boateng makes a valid point. Until the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished to serve as a strong deterrent to others who incite violence during elections, such incidents will continue to set dangerous political precedents.

Politics should not be stained by acts like these. Though the attack was localized at the St. Peter’s polling station, its potential to undermine our thriving democracy cannot be ignored.

Source: Liberalprint.com