Odododiodio clash: 5 suspects arrested

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) James Oppong-Boanuh has revealed that five persons suspected to be connected to the disturbances that erupted in the Odododiodio constituency in the Greater Accra Region between the youth of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been arrested.

According to him, they have been processed for court and the case is ongoing.

“Five persons have been arrested. They've been taken to court and the case is still in court,” he disclosed on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, in Accra, during a media briefing on the preparedness of the National Election Taskforce towards the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, officials from the National Commission of Small Arms and Light Weapons Tuesday, November 3, 2020, met with the parliamentary candidates of the NPP and NDC to sign a peace pact.

The governing NPP and the main opposition NDC in the Odododiodio constituency declared peace before, during and after the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Youth from both parties were recently engaged in a bloody clash during a peace walk organised by the NDC youth in the area.

The NPP’s parliamentary candidate, Nii Lante Bannerman, after signing the declaration, said: “As a person and as a political party, we believe strongly in the politics of ideas”.

“We believe the electorate should be given the free will without any persuasion whatsoever, to decide who and which party the person will want to vote for.

“We are not a violent party and we will not subscribe or endorse any violence in any way and I strongly condemn what happened last time in no uncertain term…”

For his part, incumbent MP Nii Lantey Vanderpuye said he is committed to total peace.

He said: “I stand here today on behalf of the National Democratic Congress to commit myself to peace before, during and after the December 7 presidential and parliamentary election.

“I do this in the solemn belief that in this constituency we are a family and as such, I cannot see myself vandalising, brutalising, attacking any member of my family.

“I stand here to say that we in the NDC are committed to total peace, we want a peaceful election, we want a peaceful environment so that our people will come out in their numbers to vote on the 7th of December 2020 for their preferred candidate…”