The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned the Ghana Police Service against shielding members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are caught disrupting public peace during the ongoing voter registration exercise.
This comes after the arrest of Collins Dauda, Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, for his alleged involvement in a violent scene at the Kukuom voter registration centre, an action the NDC has condemned.
According to the NDC, Mr Duada was busy monitoring the ongoing registration exercise in his constituency, Asutifi South and was nowhere near the incident at Kukuom which is located in the Asunafo South constituency.
The party noted that the violence was orchestrated by thugs associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and that NDC members were forced to defend themselves against attacks on their members.
It therefore cautioned the Police against failing to uphold fairness and justice as they carry out their mandate.
“We wish to remind the Ghana Police Service of their responsibility to protect all stakeholders in the ongoing voter registration exercise. The Ghana Police must display professionalism and impartiality in maintaining law and order, and be fair to all actors in the political space.
“We cannot accept a situation where the Police choose to watch on and take little action against NPP thugs who unleash unprovoked violence on NDC supporters in broad daylight.”
The NDC also noted that it is “concerned by the widespread violent incidents across the country in which NDC supporters have been at the receiving end of unprovoked brutalities, intimidation and harassments from the ruling New Patriotic Party, as happened in Adugyama in the Ahafo-ano South East Constituency in the Ashanti region, few days ago.”
“Even though we in the NDC will never initiate any such attacks, let it be known, that our supporters reserve the right to defend themselves against any violence or attacks,” the party added in a statement.