Stop the violence - NDC tells Akufo-Addo

Koforidua, Dec. 25, GNA - The Eastern Regional Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to stop his supporters and people around him from the use of violence, intimidation and harassment of political opponents.

Speaking at a press conference in Koforidua, the Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Julius Debrah said currently in the Abuakwa South Constituency and in Kyebi in particular, supporters of the NDC were constantly being harassed and provoked for no apparent reasons. He said in some cases traditional authorities had begun threatening parents and family heads to pressurize their family members who were NDC activists to stop their house-to-house campaigns in the constituency. Mr Debrah called on the people of the Eastern Region to reject the shameful attempts being made by the NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo to buy their votes and to vote massively against the party and its presidential candidate.

Mr Tawiah Boateng, Regional Organizer of the party, said due to harassment, it was becoming difficult for members of the NDC in the Abuakwa South constituency and the Kyebi area in particular to hold normal meetings since they were being followed and even people, who gave their premises to be used for meetings were being threatened.

He said NDC miniature flags displayed and posters of the party at Kyebi were often destroyed or removed apparently because they think Nana Akufo-Addo hails from the area so no political party should campaign there.

Mr Boateng said the threats and harassment of NDC activists had been extended to other Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Areas and all of a sudden party agents of the party were refusing to protect the interest of the party on the polling day because of threats made against them. He, therefore, appealed to the Regional Security Election Taskforce to take the necessary measures to protect NDC functionaries at Kyebi and to ensure that all political parties were given a level playing field to market their candidate to enable Ghanaians to make their decision from a well-informed position on December 28.