Elections in Ghana, are very much admired all across Africa. The relative peacefulness of our elections, is difficult for Nigerians to comprehend, because on the day of their elections, people self-impose curfew on themselves and stay clear of streets and out of coverage area of polling stations, where voting takes place.

During our recent elections, there were social media video clips, hosted by Nigerians, who sounded amazed that voting was taking place in Ghana and yet shops and other commercial centers were all opened and operating as if nothing was happening. They praised us and prayed that their kinsfolks will learn from us.

Unfortunately, the thugs struck at the collation centers. These thugs were perceived to belong to the NDC and mayhem held sway with a few casualties in some areas.

The aftermath of the recent elections turned this country into an aftermath of a coup d’état, where soldiers take to the streets, day and night, and create more insecurity for Ghanaians. Things that are now taking place in Ghana, is dragging this country into conflicts during and after General Elections.

According to EC Afari-Gyan, when he was cross-examined during the 2012 Presidential Election Petition, anyone who interferes with the voting process could be shot by state security officers.

During collation of votes at the polling stations, people in the locality gather around to get the results.All the collated votes at the various polling stations are taken to the constituency collation center to finalize the constituency results, and declare the winners of the parliamentary and presidential elections.

These centers are usually indoors and only authorized personnel are allowed in. They include representatives/coordinators of the various candidates, security officers and of course officials from the Electoral Commission. No one else is permitted in. Meanwhile the compounds are usually crowded with party activists and interested people waiting for the declaration of results.

The recent elections portrayed a different picture. NDC thugs could enter the collation rooms and threaten EC officials to declare their candidates, winners. This cannot be happening in Ghana. What precedent is being set?

The thuggery is nowspreading wide as happened during the regional election of Council of State member for Ashanti region. Emmanuel Baah of Graphic, reported that after the voting had been completed and counting was about to begin, some machomen invaded the premises and disrupted the process, by destroying all the ballots.All the 86 delegates who voted at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council on Tuesday February 11, 2025, were eagerly waiting for the declaration of the winner, when the thugs struck.

Twelve candidates contested for the region’s representative of the Council of State.They included, Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo, chief of Agric Nzema and a staunch member of the NPP and Yaw Owusu Obimpeh, a former regional chairman of the NDC and a member of the party’s Council of Elders.

It was at first unclear which candidate those stoutly built men were throwing their weight behind. Nana Ayeboafo, came out to allege that the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Amoakohene told him, there was no way, he will be a Council of State member. If this is true, then the thugs are from the NDC. The regional minister has not yet come out to respond to what Nana Ayeboafo said.

Readers are free to judge whether what Nana Ayeboafo said was true or not, however, the entry of thuggery in our recent political era can be blamed on the NDC. It could be that those thugs who invaded the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council last Tuesday, were NDC members, who want to turn the Ashanti Region over to the NDC. It could also be that they are new set of thugs being bred to turn Ghana into a land of chaos.

If they are not from the NDC, then this raises more serious questions. The current youth unrest and thuggery masterminded by the NDC might be encouraging other youths to act the same way. Then soon, Ghana will become very ungovernable with unruly youth pouring out in the streets to engage in acts of indiscipline.

Last month, Ghanaians woke up to the rude shock of some youth clashing with military officers at AngloGold Ashanti in Obuasi, resulting in the death of at least eight young men. Earlier, about a year or so ago, media practitioner, Captain Smart encouraged the youth to invade AngloGold Ashanti and take over the mining company. Then in 2025 this order was obeyed but sadly, the armed youth were no match to the professional soldiers.

In the case of Ashanti region’s election for Council of State member, the EC decided to have a rerun, today, Monday February 17, 2025. Instead of TV presenter, Johnnie Hughes condemning what the thugs did, he rather accused the EC for not rerunning the parliamentary election in Ablekuma North.

In both cases, Ablekuma North and the Ashanti regional Council of State elections, were truncated by thugs, and I expect the presenter to condemn the youth, and not the EC.

Where is Ghana heading to, but to an era of bloody conflicts led by the youth. When that era comes, we shall have the worst and disorderly elections in the world. Then it will be goodbye to our pride of being the beacon of democracy in Africa.

Hon. Daniel Dugan

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.