A viral video has surfaced in which a young man makes alarming claims that members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) paid him and his group to fortify themselves with juju and incite brutal violence in the upcoming elections.
“We want to let them know that the NPP people have given them money for juju to follow and vote for them and we said we won’t but they don’t understand, if you are a killer, sleep. Killing is not easy,” he said.
In the video, the young man removes his army uniform, picks up a blue campaign shirt featuring Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s image, and sets it on fire. This act not only demonstrates his defiance but also intensifies the tension surrounding his message.
In the lead-up to elections, tensions are not uncommon to escalate, leading to violent acts, especially when political rivalries are heightened. Political campaigns across many countries, including Ghana, can sometimes spiral into confrontations, with supporters clashing over ideologies, party loyalty, or territorial control. Incidents of arson, physical altercations, and targeted threats often surface, creating a volatile environment ahead of the polls.
For example, the Ghana Police Service recorded 61 electoral incidents during the 2020 national elections, which led to fatalities. Six of these occurrences involved gunfire, and 21 of them were deemed to be true electoral violence.
In particular, there were gunshots in some seats that resulted in fatalities on election day and in the aftermath.
According to a Ghana Center for Democratic Development report, violence impacted 11 constituencies in six areas, underscoring how pervasive these episodes are. Ghana in the modern era. The study underlined that, despite sporadic Election Day occurrences, tensions escalated following the election, resulting in rallies and demonstrations that sparked more clashes.
The stability and integrity of the democratic process are called into question by Ghana’s high rate of election violence. Security services, political parties, and civil society must work together to address this issue in order to reduce tensions and guarantee a calm election atmosphere in the future.​
