Suspects were picked at the Ayawaso North Constituency
NPP holding Constituency executive elections
Lawyer Abraham Amaliba, a member of the legal team of the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, has stated that he is not surprised at violent incidents arising from intra-party polls in the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP.
He said during a discussion on TV3 on Friday, April 29, that the undemocratic acts were a blot on Ghana's democracy but that he wasn't surprised that it was happening in the NPP.
Amaliba referred to the recent (April 28) commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the 1992 Constitution asking thus: “if you are witnessing things of this nature where the elections were characterized by attacks on EC officials, attacks on Police, and then removal of people’s names from the album then you will want to find out whether 30 years on, after the approval of the constitution, have we progressed or or we are retrogressing?"
He continued: “The acts are not democratic at all. But there is a certain trend that is happening in the NPP where violence has become something of a cherished commodity and so you will not be surprised to sees some of the these things.”
Security officials have had a hard time dealing aggrieved party supporters in parts of the country, notably in Okaikwei South where some arrests were made.
Police arrests during NPP polls
The Ghana Police Service on Friday, April 29, arrested four National Security operatives who were parading themselves during the New Patriotic Party’s Constituency Elections in the Ayawaso North Constituency.
DCOP Iddi Lansah Seidu, who confirmed the arrest to Accra-based Joy News, said the arrests were because Police was not going to entertain any counter security force in maintaining law and order during the polls.
“We have made it clear to the party officers that the Ghana Police Service is capable of providing absolute security for this election so we don’t want to entertain any other form of security at the polling station,” he said whiles confirming the arrest of the four unnamed officers.
“Four guys were picked up this morning…if you are a delegate and you are with the National Security or whatever set up, come in the form of a civilian and vote and go away,” he stressed.
The Greater Accra Regional Commander also confirmed the earlier arrest on Thursday of two persons who had attired themselves like Police personnel at one of the constituencies in the Greater Accra Region.
The Ghana Police Service in a statement on Friday noted that a third person had been arrested and all of them remanded after a court appearance.
The governing NPP’s Constituency Executive elections started on Thursday and is expected to continue till Monday, May 1. Voting has been suspended in some parts of the country whiles skirmishes have been recorded in other areas.
Abraham Amaliba