NDC, NPP trade accusations over alleged election disruption plots ahead of December polls

The political climate in Ghana has taken a tense turn as accusations fly between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the December 7 elections.

At the heart of the controversy is a heated exchange of claims and counterclaims regarding alleged plots to disrupt the electoral process, particularly in the Ashanti Region, a key stronghold of the NPP.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on November 20, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye, known as Nana B, accused the NDC of orchestrating plans to incite chaos. “Information available to the NPP reveals that several months ago, the NDC has been training thugs in various communities, including the Obuasi East Constituency, under the guise of private security training,” Nana B alleged.

He further claimed that these individuals were being prepared to disturb the electoral process and intimidate voters.

Expanding on the accusations, Nana B alleged that a secret meeting was held on November 11, 2024, by the NDC’s committee on mining, led by Tony Aubynn, a former CEO of the Minerals Commission. He claimed the meeting aimed to recruit NDC-affiliated small-scale miners to join a vigilante group called the “Eagle Force,” which would be deployed to polling stations in NPP-dominated areas.

According to him, the NDC’s strategy also includes using state ambulances to transport weapons and fuelling kidnapping and armed robbery activities to create fear and panic. “These deceitful strategies will not work under our watch,” he declared, vowing the NPP would resist any attempt to undermine the elections.

The accusations come in the wake of the NDC’s own allegations made a day earlier. Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s National Communication Officer, expressed concerns about what he called a government plot to rig the elections in the Ashanti Region.

Sammy Gyamfi alleged that a senior military officer, Brigadier General Michael Opoku, who previously faced criticism for his involvement in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, had been rewarded with a promotion to oversee operations in the region. “The NDC will petition the Inspector General of Police over fears that the people’s mandate may be stolen,” Sammy Gyamfi announced, emphasising the need for transparency and fairness.

But the NPP has dismissed the NDC’s claims as unfounded. “The allegations made by the NDC are baseless, devoid of any iota of credible evidence, and represent yet another desperate attempt to raise tension,” Nana B countered.

He defended Brigadier General Opoku, saying, “You level accusations against a reputable army officer without providing any evidence, yet you want us to take you seriously.”