By Christopher Arko
Accra, July 11, GNA – Rev. Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South, has condemned violence at the St. Peter Society polling station during the Ablekuma North constituency rerun.
Confusion erupted when a group of macho men stormed the station, forcing Electoral Commission officials to suspend voting briefly.
Among those assaulted were Mavis Hawa Koomson, former Minister of Fisheries, and other NPP officials present at the centre.
Madam Hawa Koomson and the NPP officials are believed to have sustained physical injuries during the assault, prompting enhanced security at the polling station.
Speaking to the media after visiting the centre, Rev. Fordjour expressed concern and called for calm.
“Ghana is all that we have; it is important that we make it peaceful. Democracy must be an expression of opinions through voting to determine your decision. It shouldn’t degenerate into the kind of violence we have seen today.
“We must condemn it in every word that we can find to condemn. Democracy is all we have; let us continue to make voting day a very peaceful day, everyone will look up to. It should be full of violence, rancorousness, tribulations, and reprisals.
“It is going to destroy the gains we have made in our democracy. It’s not good for the reputation Ghana has. We need to move beyond violence” he stated.
In a related development, Nana Akua Afriyie, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, alleged the attacks were deliberately orchestrated by political opponents to disrupt the process and reduce her margin of victory.
“There are hoodlums, thugs, machomen everywhere, and everywhere is chaotic. All these are orchestrated to suppress my margin. The NDC knows that every voter who will come to these polling stations will vote for me, hence the chaos” she said.
She disclosed that a supporter of the NPP was injured and hospitalised following an assault at the Light of Gospel Miracle Church polling station.
“Because of the chaos, people are scared to come out to vote, but I want to urge my people to come out to vote because there’s enhanced security. They have assaulted some of our people at the Light of Gospel Miracle Church polling station as well, and one is at the hospital. Why do you have to do this?” she asked.
Meanwhile, the NPP has formally appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to ensure maximum protection for voters and party supporters amid rising tensions.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey