President John Dramani Mahama has advised loyalists of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, not to be provoked to cause mayhem ahead of this year’s election.
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It is, however, unclear what triggered the clashes but according to reports, both sides confirmed gunshots and hurling of harmful objects.
The NPP’s acting General Secretary, John Boadu at a press conference hours after the incident accused the NDC of attacking their supporters with guns, knives and other harmful objects.
The NDC has since denied the claims saying it was the personal security of Nana Addo who first fired multiple shots at the NDC members.
But speaking on the incident during a rally in Tema, the NDC presidential candidate, John Mahama urged party loyalists to ignore what he calls violent tactics being used by the NPP to win the election at all cost.
“We are peaceful people, and I don’t want any one of us to be provoked. This morning there was an incident that was totally uncalled for. There are going to be incidences to provoke you, but please resist the temptation to be provoked. We all know that when there is a competition, the one who knows he is going to lose tries to create trouble so that the competition will not come on. We know we are going to win,” he said.
The president added that the consistent attack on the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, by the NPP is part of the party's grand agenda to blame her if the election does not go their way.
“The results of Ghana’s elections are declared at the polling station and at each polling station, every party is represented and so our opponent should not prepare the ground and create an impression for a disputed election because I can see that that is exactly what they are doing,” he said.
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“They are attacking the EC. They are attacking the EC and saying she wants to rig the election for the NDC. That is because they can see they are going to lose the elections and so they want to prepare the grounds so that when they lose, they’ll say it is the EC that stole it for the NDC,” he added.
Meanwhile, police have launched investigations into the clash between the two parties on Sunday.