NPP Youth Organizer slashed in the head over polling station election

The New Abirim Constituency Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, (NPP) has sustained cutlass wounds in a violence which broke out during polling station election.

Frank Ayim was attacked by one Alfred alleged to be close to the MP during a fight at Dodoworaso polling station Tuesday.

The victim was admitted at Abirim Hospital.

There has been no Police report yet on the matter.

The polling station election of the NPP has been marred by pockets of confusion and violence in the Easter Region.

Some aggrieved candidates and members of the ruling New Patriotic Party in New Juaben South constituency have accused the Member of Parliament Michael Okyere Baafi of using armed military, national security operatives and police to intimidate and manipulate the polling station election.

There has been widespread orchestrated disqualification and denial of nomination forms to many aspirants perceived to be aligned to Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah, former MP in many polling stations across the constituency leaving favorites of the MP to run unopposed.

Some unknown persons are also bused and moved around to vote in Polling stations that they do not have original votes with the tacit support of the joint armed security.

On Tuesday for instance same tactics was used to manipulate the election at Koforidua Polytechnic polling station election.

The election which was supposed to come off around 8:00 am was delayed after some candidates contesting the election resisted attempts to force strange voters bused in two sprinter vehicles to vote.

However to the surprise of the aggrieved candidates, the national security, police, and military stormed the polling station center at about 7:30 pm to supervise a fraudulent process at the blind side of some of the candidates and delegates who had left to their homes.

“I’m sad to see this kind of dirty game that our people are playing. It is very unfortunate because we pride ourselves with democracy so why is the military intimidating the people on the ground. The military presence alone means that you deliberately have a plan to intimidate the electorates on the ground so that you will never vote for those you perceive they are not with you, ” Isaac Boadi, a polling station aspirant contesting for secretary position in Polytechnic polling station said.

Sampson Ahunu who was vying for Polling station chairman said ” they came in with heavy security in a convoy of 15 vehicles to vote at about 7:30 pm getting to 8:00 pm when everyone had left. They voted in a dark place instead of the open place designated as polling station. In Sempoamiensa electoral area, they disqualified almost all members of the elephant family here that contested so that their favorites go unopposed. We are very peeved and bitter”

The polling station election in New Juaben South is taking place despite an ex-parte court injunction secured by some aggrieved members against the process.

The four plaintiffs, Jalil Ibn Tahir, Amoh Jonas, Ako George, and Mable Asantewaa Aikins, accused the constituency executives and MP Micheal Okyere Baafi of deliberately denying them nomination forms and rather sold them to their favorites.

However, Michael Okyere Baafi has denied the allegations. He has also stated that, nobody in the party has been served with injunction.

Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com/Kojo Ansah