In the release of some recordings revealing a plot by a group of senior police officers to depose the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP), security and elections have become a major topic of discussion in the country.
The plot involved courting the support of a senior member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The group’s purported motivation, according to the recording’s specifications, was to remove George Akuffo Dampare as IGP because of his suspected membership in the opposition National Democratic Congress and to allow the rigging of the general election of 2024 in favor of the ruling NPP.
A 50-minute tape of one of the senior police officers, a particular Mensah with the rank of Commissioner, confirms the latter purpose.
“So that is my fear that during (the 2024) elections, how is this man going to help us; he can’t help us. He won’t. He will make sure that everything is fair. But Alhaji you don’t go to elections like that, you don’t do elections like that at all. The Supreme Court said elections is won at the polling station so whatever you need to do at the polling station you have to do. And the security has a major role to play,” COP Mensah who touted himself as staunch member of the governing party is heard saying in the audio.
In other parts of the audio, the senior officer who had come to the conclusion that Dr. Dampare’s control over police affairs made the NPP’s ‘Breaking The 8’ agenda impossible said that, despite his high qualifications for the IGP position, he would not mind losing out as long as the current IGP was replaced with a pro-NPP officer.
“Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us. It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me but that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all.
“I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think they are our men get I (it is ok)… Because we need to break this 8. That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ” he said.
He continues by highlighting the fact that manipulating elections is the only way to win them and that the NPP must take steps to have a supportive police hierarchy, which is essential for carrying out such an agenda.