Election Watch Ghana has issued an urgent appeal for peace and restraint following reports of rising tensions and incidents of violence within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of its January 31 flagbearership elections.
In a statement released on Monday, the civil society group said it was “deeply concerned about the escalating tensions and reports of violence” associated with the internal contest, warning that such developments threaten the integrity of the electoral process.
The group cited specific incidents, including disturbances at campaign events in Sunyani, where supporters were allegedly assaulted and chased away. According to Election Watch Ghana, one aspirant, Naa Torshi, was forced to address the public from a vehicle after being chased from a venue, while a social media activist aligned with another camp was reportedly beaten—incidents the group described as “alarming and unacceptable.”
“These acts undermine the integrity of the electoral process and have no place in a democratic contest,” the statement said.
Election Watch Ghana called on the Ghana Police Service to take immediate steps to contain the situation, including convening an emergency meeting with flagbearer aspirants and party leadership to agree on clear guidelines and a binding code of conduct.
“We urgently call on the Ghana Police Service to intervene by convening an emergency meeting with the flagbearer aspirants and party leadership to establish clear guidelines and ensure adherence to a code of conduct for the elections,” the group stated.
It further urged the police and other stakeholders to deploy adequate security personnel to identified hotspots and take decisive action to de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence.
As the country closely monitors the NPP’s internal elections, Election Watch Ghana appealed to party members and supporters to exercise tolerance and calm. “Democracy thrives on peaceful competition, not violence,” the group emphasized, adding that party leadership bears a responsibility to ensure a peaceful process and acceptance of the outcome.
The organization also called for preventive measures and regular public updates from the police on security arrangements and responses to incidents, expressing confidence that swift action by authorities would help guarantee a peaceful, free, and fair election.
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