Kwame Afrifa Mensah, aka ‘Okatakyie’
Media personality, Kwame Afrifa Mensah, popularly known as ‘Okatakyie’, and one Osman Awuni, have been hospitalised following violent clashes that nearly marred the Effigya Sekyere East New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency polls on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
The police has disclosed that while voting was in progress, Okatakyie led about 30 muscularly built men to the SDA Church polling station in Wiamoase to disrupt the elections, claiming that there was an injunction against the elections, even though the police and Electoral Commission (EC) claimed they were not served.
According to the police, the ensuing violent clashes between the macho men and police led to the arrest of Okatakyie and six other people, who are perceived to be his supporters, a security action which eventually helped to restore law and order for the voting process to continue.
However, Okatakyie and Osman, whilst in lawful police custody, suddenly complained that they were not feeling well and needed medical attention. The police therefore rushed them to the Mampong Government Hospital, where they were admitted for immediate treatment under police guard.
Assistant Superintendent Emmanuel Agbodzi, Head of Public Affairs Unit, Ashanti North Police Command, in a statement, reiterated that the police and the Electoral Commission, who supervised the polls, were not aware of Okatakyie’s claims that there was injunction against the election.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that suspect Kwame Afrifa Mensah claimed that some of his supporters had been side-lined in the electoral process and that he had obtained an interlocutory injunction to halt the elections. However, neither the Electoral Commission nor the police received any court order or injunction directing that the elections be suspended.
“Following the intervention of the police, calm was restored and voting resumed under adequate security. The election ended peacefully at about 4:00 p.m., after which the Electoral Commission duly declared the results,” Assistant Superintendent Agbodzi said, adding that investigations into the case were still ongoing, with the necessary arrangements underway to haul Okatakyie and the six other people who were arrested at the polling station to court.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi