The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced that it will not intervene on behalf of individuals arrested by the Police in connection with disturbances that disrupted a parliamentary primary in Walewale.
The primary contest between incumbent MP Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu and Dr. Kabiru Mahama was annulled by the Electoral Commission after some ballot papers were snatched, affecting the sorting and counting process.
The Police have since arrested one person related to the incident.
Speaking at a press conference, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong expressed the party’s support for the Police and emphasized that anyone found responsible for causing chaos during the electoral process would face the full extent of the law.
He reiterated the NPP’s commitment to the rule of law and internal democracy, stating that the party would not compromise on peace and stability.
The National Executive Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, to address the situation.
Frimpong assured that the meeting would result in a decision aimed at unifying the party in the constituency, resolving issues, and ensuring that the NPP retains its seat in Walewale. The decision will be made ahead of the closed-door nomination deadline on Friday.
He said, “The Ghana Police Service and for the information that we have, we know they arrested some people yesterday so I want us to leave it to the professionals to do their job. But what I can say is that the party will give helpful support to the Ghana Police Service and anyone that will be established as the one being the cause of the chaos in the electoral process will be dealt with according to the laws of the country.”
“The party will not come in to make any plead for such a person. The New Patriotic Party is not known for violence. The New Patriotic Party per our record shows clearly that we are a party that believes in the rule of law.
“We are a party that believes in internal democracy and therefore will not do anything that will undermine the peace and stability in our party.”
“We have the power to deal with issues concerning parliamentary matters and we’ve done it before. So certainly I can assure you that tomorrow a decision will be made by the national executive committee of our party which has to be made because Friday is the deadline for the closed-door nomination.”
“So certainly a decision will be made, and the decision will be based on one that addresses the issues that happen at Walewale, one that will seek to reconcile the party at Walewale and that will also seek to bring unity at Walewale and make sure that the party retain its seat at Walewale.”
