Election 2020: No party security at polling stations - IGP warns

The Inspector General of Police has sounded a word of caution to political parties planning of sending their own security detail to polling centres on the election day, stressing that it will not be tolerated by his outfit.

“I assure Ghanaians that we will not idle for any group of people to trample on our freedom, or intimidate the electorate at the polling stations on election day,” James Oppong-Boanuh, the IGP, said on Peace FM Thursday. “If anybody comes to the polling station to misbehave, the laws will deal with them.”

According to him, all the security personnel in the country are ever ready to provide security on December 7. He added that if any type of security persons other than the assigned security officials pop up, they will be arrested, just as the laws stipulate.

The IGP, who is the Chairperson of the National Election Security Task Force noted that the police will do everything possible to arrest anybody or group of persons who will go to the polling stations to disrupt the peace and security on election day.

The IGP noted that the vigilantism and related offences act of 2019 frowns on any group of persons who will do anything untoward to disrupt the peace and security in the country.

“Providing security for the elections is the responsibility of the security agencies. So, we don’t expect that anybody will come to the polling station to provide security on election day. We don’t need party security at the polling stations,” the IGP said.

“Polling agents and observers are the only ones recognized by law,” he again urged.

“Any other person or group of persons should stay away from the polling stations because you have no business there. After voting, we expect the electorate to leave the polling station. Don’t come to the polling station and prevent security officials from working. If you do, you are obstructing the duties of the police and it is an offence and you will be prosecuted for that.”