Okatakyie Afrifa arrested as violence erupts at NPP elections at Afigya Sekyere East

Police arrested media personality Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah on Sunday (12 July) after clashes broke out during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) constituency executive elections at Afigya Sekyere East in the Ashanti Region.

The unrest occurred at the polling centre in Wiamoase, where the elections proceeded despite reports of a court injunction seeking to halt the exercise.

Witnesses said Afrifa arrived at the venue to serve what was described as a court injunction to police officers deployed for security. However, armed officers prevented him from accessing the polling station before taking him into custody.

Videos circulating on social media showed Afrifa being escorted into a police vehicle, which later left the venue for an undisclosed location.

The arrest triggered a confrontation between police and some of Afrifa’s supporters, with witnesses reporting that several members of his team were also arrested during the incident.

Gunshots were heard as police moved to disperse the crowd and restore order, although it was not immediately clear whether the shots were fired into the air or whether anyone was injured.

The disturbance briefly disrupted activities at the polling station as heavily armed security personnel reinforced their presence.

The Ashanti North Regional Police Command had not immediately issued a statement on the arrest or the circumstances surrounding the reported court injunction.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions surrounding the NPP’s ongoing constituency executive elections in parts of the Ashanti Region, where some contests have been challenged in court.