Widespread violence during voters registration is sign of danger in Dec polls - Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said the upcoming general elections may spell doom for Ghana.

According to him, the 38-day voters registration exercise that started in August, 2020 is the most violent in Ghana’s history.

Addressing the media at the party’s headquarters to respond to allegations that he is behind some violent incidents that marred the process in Banda, in the Bono Region, the NDC General Secretary said most of the violence that characterised the exercise received the backing of the state agencies.

“The just-ended voter registration will go down in history as by far the most violent voter registration exercise ever conducted in the 4th Republic of Ghana,” he told journalists.

According to him, the violence-ridden registration exercise coming on the heels of an equally voilent by-Elections at Ayawaso West Wuoguon, “is further testimony of the NPP Government’s grand scheme to apply violence and other undemocratic intimidation tactics to rig and perpetuate itself in power against the will of the people.”

The 38-day voters registration exercise and two days of mop-up witnessed two deaths with several acts of violence across the country.

The violence involved the supporters of NPP and NDC.

On August 8, 2020, a clash between supporters of the two political parties resulted in the death of one person at Nkrankwanta, a town in the Bono Region.

Two persons, who sustained gunshot wounds were said to be in critical condition and receiving treatment at the Dormaa Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa West Constituency Halidu Ali Maiga told local media that the deceased was hit by a stray bullet fired by security personnel who were deployed to the scene to maintain law and order.

Images shared on social media captures two vehicles and a motorbike razed down by the rampaging youth. Tension, over the weekend, was quite high and security has been beefed up in parts of the town and adjoining communities in the area.

Earlier on July 13, a 28-year-old teacher who graduated from college recently was stabbed to death at Banda, a border town in the Bono Region.

Micah Perdjo, the younger brother of the deceased, told local media that his brother died without saying a word to him.

"The doctors did their best but they said the knife would have affected his lungs and there was not much they could do when he was brought to the hospital," he said.

In the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region, a clash between supporters of the two main political parties nearly halted the process at a registration center.

Cabinet Minister and MP for the area Hawa Koomson admitted to firing gunshots at the scene. Her action was widely condemned by the public.

Even though nobody lost the life during incident, properties including vehicles and motorbikes were burnt down.

Five persons, the police say have been processed and are currently facing the court over the incident.

Similar politically orchestrated violence was reported in the Ashanti, Ahafo, and Volta and in the Greater Accra Regions.

Several notable individuals and civil society groups condemned the acts of violence that characterized the exercise.