Voter registration exercise: NDC calls on police to be fair in discharge of their duties

The Ghana Police Service has been urged by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism and objectivity in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

Amid the 21-day countrywide exercise that began on May 7 and is set to end on May 27, the party also called on the police to treat all political actors fairly.

In a statement signed by Sammy Gyamfi,the National Communications Officer for the NDC,the police were also reminded of their duty to safeguard all parties involved in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

Response

The statement was made in response to the arrest of Alhaji Collins Dauda, the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi South in the Ahafo Region, for an incident related to the ongoing voter registration exercise that happened in Kukuom, the Asunafo South Constituency in the same region, last Saturday, May 11, 2024.

“We wish to place on record that at no point was the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Hon. Collins Dauda, present at the Kukuom registration centre on Saturday, May 11, 2024.”

“Contrary to the claim by the Ghana Police Service, Hon. Collins Dauda was busily 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,” it said.

“The NDC condemns in no uncertain terms the unprofessional haste of the Ghana Police Service to publish the so-called arrest of the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, and create the impression all over the media as though he has committed a crime,” the statement said.

“For emphasis, Hon. Collins Dauda has committed no crime. The allegation by the Police that he was involved in some disturbances at the ongoing voter registration in Kukuom is palpably false and must be treated with the contempt it deserves,” it stressed.

Police

Alhaji Dauda was arrested in relation to a recent incident during the limited voter registration process in Kukuom, in the Ahafo Region, according to a police statement released last Sunday.

After the arrest, Alhaji Dauda has been set free on bail.

Peace

The NDC party reaffirmed its commitment to peace in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. “We are a law abiding political party committed to respecting the laws of the country.

Our parliamentary candidates, agents and supporters throughout the country have so far comported themselves in the ongoing exercise, even in the face of extreme provocation and in some cases, violent attacks,” it said.

“We are however 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 (NPP), as happened in Adugyama in the Ahafo-Ano South East Constituency in the Ashanti Region few days ago,” it said.

“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,” it stated.

“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 violence or attacks,” the party stated.