POLITICAL

Police arrest 8 people over disturbances in NDC primaries

The Ghana Police Service has arrested eight individuals across four constituencies in the country for various election-related offences during the presidential and parliamentary Primaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) held over the weekend.

A statement released by the Police, said one Yaro Burdove was arrested at the Ningo Prampram Constituency for taking a photograph of his ballot paper in the polling booth and attempting to take photographs of the ballot of other voters.

The Police added that Harrison Martey and Imoro Ibrahim were also arrested for engaging in an unlawful fight at a voting centre in the same constituency.

Similarly, suspects Arkoli Mensah and Nyarko Richard were arrested for disturbing the peace by engaging themselves in an unlawful fight at a voting center during the voting process in the New Juaben South Constituency in the Eastern Region.

More offences

In the Mfantseman Constituency in the Central Region, suspect Prince Lomotey was arrested at the voting center for personation, while suspects Hamidu Dramani and Bejando Emmanuel were arrested for causing violence at a polling station in the Atebubu-Amantin constituency in the Bono East Region.

The Police further disclosed that five of the suspects are currently on Police inquiry bail, while the other three are in custody assisting the ongoing Police investigation.

Furthermore, the Police Service stated that they are investigating a viral video in which Madam Juliana Kinang-Wassan, one of the Parliamentary aspirants for the Ejura Sekyedumase Constituency, is seen spraying money at a crowd during the elections in the Ashanti Region.

The Police have also indicated that a legal team is currently scrutinising the conduct of the aspirant in the video to establish whether there are elements of election-related crime to warrant Police intervention.

The Police Service assured the public of their commitment towards ensuring peace, security, law, and order at all times.

Vote buying

According to reports, some aspirants in the NDC primaries allegedly resorted to paying money to delegates in order to influence their votes in the Nkwanta South constituency of the Oti region where delegates were seen receiving envelopes.

Reports further indicate that delegates were seen holding white envelopes, which were perceived to contain cash. The situation was no different at Twifo-Atimorkwa in the Central Region where delegates were seen receiving cooking gas cylinder from a truck.

In the same vein, Ejura was not left out of the vote buying galore as there was a mad rush for cash when Bawa Braimah, main contender rained cash on delegates at Ejura/Sekyedumase, a constituency in the Ashanti Region.

This has raised concerns about the integrity of the primary process and the potential for corruption to undermine the democratic process.

The report also captured some delegates crowded under a tree, apparently waiting for their turn to receive the envelope.

Mahama’s win

Mr. Mahama, who failed in his bid for the presidency in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, will now lead the NDC into the 2024 general elections.

He went into the contest with former Bank of Ghana Governor and Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, and a former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu.

However, Dr. Duffuor pulled out of the race after claiming concerns he raised about discrepancies with the party’s electoral roll were unresolved, making it a two horse race between former President Mahama and Mr Bonsu.

The campaign team of Mahama had earlier indicated that they were confident of securing 99.9% of the votes in the primaries.

According reports from the EC, Mahama polled 297,603 votes representing 98.9 per cent.

In a victory speech posted on Facebook yesterday, Mr Mahama urged all party members to remain united in winning the 2024 general elections. “I also ask for cooperation among all our elected parliamentary candidates and the respective aspirants and supporters and all the constituencies across the country,” he stated

He added “our party is the winner because there are no individual winners and losers in the party’s contest, thanking “his campaign team for keeping their focus and delivering a clean campaign”.

He also expressed his gratitude to the donors and financiers of his campaign, urging them to continue to support his campaign in the 2024 elections.

 

 

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