The Inter-Party Coalition for National Sovereignty, comprising the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Ghana Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), United Front Party (UFP), the EGLE Party and the All People’s Congress (APC).
According to them, they are hitting the streets over the violence that rocked the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election last Thursday.
They hope to send a strong message to the New Patriotic Party (NPP)-led government “about the barbaric and brutal violence that characterised the conduct’ of the elections “as well as the growing atmosphere of insecurity in the country.”
The Convener of the street protest dubbed ‘Aagbe wo Demonstration’ – or ‘You are killing us demonstration’ – Bernard Monah, said in a press statement that the opposition parties hope to draw public attention to the “looming threat on [Ghana’s] democracy, peace and stability."
Minority Walk-out
Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan was sworn into Parliament Tuesday, by taking the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Member of Parliament, administered by the First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu.
Moments before her swearing-in, however, the Minority in Parliament staged a walkout of Parliament in protest at what they described as state-sponsored violence during the bye-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon.
Sam George's justification
Samuel George Nartey, the NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram, has been justifying the Minority’s display of the 'Bloody Widow' placards.
Speaking on the same platform, Sam George described his side’s action as “normal parliamentary practice”. He alluded to instances where even President Akufo-Addo and the late President Atta Mills suffered similar heckling while delivering the State of the Nation address.
"It is a fact that the Ayawaso West Wuogon polls was a bloody bye-election...our description was apt....I will urge Lydia Alhassan to take it in good faith since this is a normal parliamentary practice," he said.
By-Election Result
Lydia Seyram Alhassan replaced her husband as Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in Accra after winning the by-election held on Thursday, 31st January 2019.
Alhassan, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, was the second wife of the late MP Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko.
She polled 68.80 per cent of the valid votes cast.
Her closest challenger, Kwasi Delali Brempong of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) polled 30.52 per cent, while William Kofi Dowuokpor of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) and Clement Boadi of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) polled 0.58 and 0.10 per cent respectively.
Some of the demonstrators at the