Lessons from Ablekuma North by-election have strengthened election security – Muntaka

The Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has disclosed that significant reforms have been implemented following the Ablekuma North by-election to prevent a recurrence of the security lapses.

According to the minister, the by-election exposed critical weaknesses in coordination among state security agencies, prompting a review of operational procedures and the adoption of new measures to improve election security.

Ablekuma North: Dangerous pattern of electoral violence threatens Ghana's democracy – IDEG, CFI

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on June 10, 2026, Muntaka said one of the key lessons from the Ablekuma North by-election was the need for stronger coordination among security agencies deployed during elections.

"One of the major things was the lack of coordination among the state agencies. It's like you go to the election, everybody has its own plan and they just go in and therefore, sometimes when there's a problem, you don't even know who is to be allowed to be in charge," he said.

The minister explained that the issue has since been addressed to ensure clear command structures and better cooperation among agencies during election-related operations.

He also identified de-escalation of tensions at polling centres and other election hotspots as an area that required improvement.

"When you are at the polling station and something happens and there's some kind of chaos, what do you do? Because there was no coordination, they were all handled differently," he stated.

Muntaka said security personnel have now been trained to identify who should take the lead in resolving tensions and restoring calm whenever disturbances occur.

The minister further revealed that intelligence gathering before, during and after elections has been strengthened as part of the reforms.

He cited the Akwatia by-election as an example, saying security agencies deployed surveillance measures ahead of the poll, including the installation of cameras to monitor movements in the area.

"All these things were identified and they were dealt with and now have become part of the modus operandi as we go into the future," he said.

He assured Parliament that the lessons from the Ablekuma North by-election would help ensure smoother and more secure conduct of future by-elections across the country.

"I want to assure my colleague that a lot of lessons were learned from the Ablekuma North by-election and a lot has been done since to ensure that should we have any by-election, some of the things that happened should not happen," he added.

JKB/AM

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