The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of moving armed thugs into parts of Akwatia ahead of Tuesday’s by-election.
According to the NDC, the alleged thugs are being housed in communities such as Akyem Wenchi and Akyem Topreman with the aim of fomenting trouble during the polls.
Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the NDC, Rashid Tanko, told journalists at the Collation Center on Monday night that the party had alerted the police and national security to the development.
“Nobody will have the luxury to misbehave tomorrow. If indeed some people have been brought in with weapons to cause mayhem, the security agencies are on top of it. The state will not allow the peace of Akwatia to be disturbed,” Tanko said.
He stressed that the NDC is treating the information as an allegation for now, but warned that anyone arrested for misconduct during the exercise would be exposed.
“If your husband has informed you that he’s coming to Akwatia on somebody’s ticket to cause mayhem, then you should be preparing for another story for your husband tomorrow,” he cautioned.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has assured the public of a peaceful and transparent election. About 5,500 officers have been deployed to man 119 polling stations across the constituency.
The police further disclosed that advanced security technology, including CCTV surveillance, body cameras, and drones, will be used to monitor activities on election day.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has also deployed 484 temporary staff to oversee the by-election, with 52,328 voters expected to cast their ballots across 21 electoral areas.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
