IGP orders probe into Ayawaso shootings

The Inspector General of Police David Asante-Apeatu has ordered investigations into the shooting and chaos that occurred in the Ayawaso West-Wuogon constituency today.

A statement by the Police also clarified that six people are so far on record to have been injured in the melee with no death registered.

Gunshots and chaos have marred today’s by-election in the Ayawaso constituency causing the opposition NDC to withdraw from the polls.

Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress of orchestrating Thursday’s violence.

Addressing the media at the Party’s head office at Asylum Down, Accra, the Director of Communications for the party, Yaw Buaben Asamoah said contrary to claims by the opposition that it had directed all of its representatives at various polling stations to leave the election centers, some are still present in the polling stations observing the elections.

“It appears to be a premeditated attempt to create an impression of violence and thereby discredit the ongoing election and prepare minds probably for what purposes we can’t tell…[maybe] to negatively perceive what is going on and probably position for the future, as well as damage the integrity of the Electoral Commission and the government.

“There has been a clearly orchestrated widespread attempt to blow out what has happened on multimedia and international media and this we condemn in its totality”.