We will not tolerate violence and intimidation at Akwatia – NDC lawyers

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Lawyers Association has declared its readiness to deploy a strong team of legal practitioners to Akwatia in the Eastern Region to monitor and safeguard the upcoming by-election.

According to the group, recent developments in Akwatia, including threats of violence allegedly made by some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as reported attacks on NDC leaders, have raised serious concerns about the safety and integrity of the polls.

In a statement issued on Saturday, August 30, 2025, and signed by Isaac Minta Larbi, Legal Director of the Eastern Region and Chairman of the NDC Eastern Legal Team, the lawyers condemned what they described as “unwelcome and unwarranted threats” aimed at creating fear among voters in the constituency.

“These threats are unacceptable and constitute an affront to our democracy and rule of law, which seeks to ensure that under our democracy people are free to exercise their rights to vote in a peaceful, free and fair manner,” the statement read.

The lawyers pointed to reports of individuals arrested with guns attempting to enter Akwatia, as well as alleged attempts to attack NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and the party’s candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, during the 40-day memorial service of the late Ernest Kumi, former NPP parliamentary candidate.

They called on the Ghana Police Service to urgently investigate the incidents and bring perpetrators to justice.

The group stressed that Ghana’s democracy has matured and should not be undermined by acts of violence and intimidation.

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“We cannot at this stage allow hooligans and people who don’t seem to care much about our democracy to try to derail it, especially under the Presidency of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama,” the statement emphasized.

The NDC Lawyers also revealed that during the December 7 parliamentary elections at Akwatia, several electoral infractions were observed, leading to a lawsuit against the Electoral Commission and the late Ernest Kumi.

To prevent a repeat of such disputes, the group announced plans to deploy body cameras for effective monitoring of voting and collation processes.

As part of their deployment, the lawyers will serve in multiple capacities including polling agents, counting agents and collation agents while also engaging in overall monitoring of the electoral process in collaboration with the Electoral Commission and security agencies.

“Our lawyers will be playing different roles, including monitoring compliance with the law during the voting process, to ensure that the people of Akwatia feel safe and secure on election day in order to exercise their constitutional and democratic rights,” the statement noted.

The lawyers underscored their unwavering support for the NDC candidate, Bernard Bediako Baidoo, describing him as a colleague and member of the NDC Lawyers Association.

They expressed confidence that once the election is conducted fairly, he will emerge victorious and bring the needed development to Akwatia.

“This election ought to be monitored properly to avoid any subsequent lawsuits, because after the election the people of Akwatia deserve development and not litigation,” they added.

Reiterating their commitment to democracy and peace, the group insisted that acts of voter intimidation, harassment, and violence will not be tolerated.

They concluded by activating their call for all body cameras to be deployed during the election.