The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has sounded a strong warning ahead of the much-anticipated Akwatia by-election, declaring that any military interference in the process will be treated as an act of thuggery.
The party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, issued the warning during a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, August 27.
Ahiagbah accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of scheming to deploy national security operatives to intimidate voters and disrupt the polls. He claimed the NPP had gathered credible intelligence that the NDC planned to “hide behind the guise of national security to terrorise some residents and voters in Akwatia.”
He pointed out that the Ghana Police Service has already committed to deploying 5,000 officers for the by-election, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has clarified that police require no military support to maintain law and order.
Despite these assurances, Ahiagbah alleged that Richard Jakpa, the recently appointed Director of Operations at the National Security Secretariat, had been seen moving through Akwatia with soldiers and reportedly issuing threats to residents.
“Richard Jakpa has reportedly been perambulating Akwatia with soldiers, threatening some indigenes and residents to leave the town before the by-election in their own interest,” Ahiagbah claimed. He stressed that any soldier who becomes involved in the election process would be treated as a thug and face consequences.
The NPP urged President John Dramani Mahama, as Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, to rein in Mr. Jakpa and ensure that the military stays clear of the by-election. “We urge the President, under whose watch national security falls, to call Richard Jakpa to order and ensure that no soldier meddles in the Akwatia by-election,” Ahiagbah said.
Tensions are running high in Akwatia as the by-election, set for Tuesday, September 2, approaches. Both the NPP and NDC have accused each other of intimidation tactics in the fiercely contested constituency. Meanwhile, NDC Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande cautioned that any acts of violence during the polls would be met with equal resistance, vowing that the party would not allow intimidation to undermine the democratic process.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
