Former National Chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has vowed that the party will strongly resist the deployment of military personnel aimed at intimidating voters during the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
His remark follows allegations by the NDC that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is conspiring with Brigadier General Michael Kwadwo Opoku, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, to rig the upcoming elections.
At a press conference on Tuesday, 19th November, the NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, accused Brigadier General Opoku of orchestrating a plan under the direction of President Akufo-Addo to undermine the election process. He alleged that the strategy involves “ballot stuffing, the swapping of ballot boxes, the exchange of pink sheets, and other covert activities.”
Speaking to journalists in the Fanteakwa South constituency of the Eastern Region, Ofosu-Ampofo reiterated the NDC’s commitment to countering any attempts at voter intimidation. He stated:
We have condemned vigilantism in all its forms, and so we have been calling on the security agencies to act impartially—as state security agencies, not party security agencies. But the NDC will not sit back and allow anyone to subvert the will of the people. We will resist it with all our might.
Any soldier who thinks we can be threatened with claims that after voting, we should go and sleep should take note: NDC supporters don’t go to sleep after voting. Remain vigilant, watch every vote being counted, and stay until the results are declared—and John Mahama is pronounced President of the Republic of Ghana. We will not sleep and we will not be intimidated by any military officer.
Ofosu-Ampofo also urged Dr George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police and Chairman of the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF), to uphold professionalism and ensure a fair and peaceful election.
Meanwhile, the NPP has dismissed the NDC’s allegations of vote rigging. In a counter-press conference held on Wednesday, 20th November, the NPP’s National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, rejected the claims as “baseless and unsubstantiated.” Instead, he alleged that it is the NDC that is plotting to manipulate the elections.