NPP Voter Slaps Nurse at Mampong Polling Station, Court Orders Fine and Compensation

A 30-year-old mechanic from Asante Mampong has been convicted by the Nsuta Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region after admitting to slapping a nurse during the New Patriotic Party's polling station executive elections last month.

Musah Jalilu, popularly known as "Pepe," pleaded guilty before presiding judge His Lordship Simon Nkatiah Gagah, who ordered him to pay a fine of GH¢2,400 or face six months in prison. The court also directed Jalilu to pay GH¢800 in compensation to the victim, 26-year-old nurse Theresah Osei Yeboah, to cover her medical expenses — with a further two-month custodial sentence should he default on that payment.

According to Chief Inspector Kofi Amankwaah, who led the prosecution, the incident took place on 14th May at around 8:30 a.m. at a voting centre on the premises of the Ghana Water Company in Asante Mampong. The nurse, who had joined fellow party members to cast her vote, noticed Jalilu and another person handling a ballot box alongside the voters' register and questioned their conduct. Jalilu reportedly became agitated and struck her on the left side of her face.

The assault was reported to the Asante Mampong Police, and Theresah was given a medical report form to seek treatment and record her injuries. Investigators arrested Jalilu four days after the incident, and he subsequently admitted to the assault in a cautioned statement made before an independent witness.

A Warning Against Political Violence

The conviction sends a clear signal that violence during internal party elections will not be tolerated by the courts. Tensions during intra-party polls have been a recurring concern across Ghana's political landscape, and legal experts say such rulings are essential to protecting ordinary citizens who participate in democratic processes.