The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey, has been accused by Moses Abor, a key contender in the Ayawaso Central race, of attempts to rig the January 27 elections.
Abor has since petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, over the allegations.
He noted, amongst other things, the planned efforts of the Regional Minister and incumbent MP for the constituency to deploy both “illegal security personnel” and police personnel believed to be on his side to provide security services on election day. This, he said, is geared towards manipulating the outcome of the polls in his favour.
According to Abor’s accusations, the Minister’s efforts intend to intimidate and harass delegates on election day who are thought to be his supporters.
Abor also claimed that Henry Quartey and his associates had developed a complex strategy to illegally pack vote boxes with thumbprinted ballots in an attempt to interfere with the election results.
Moses Abor, who has served as the Greater Accra Regional Youth Organiser of the NPP since 2017, announced his resignation from the position in September last year to contest the Ayawaso Central seat.
Read Moses Abor’s petition:
I am Moses Abor, an aspiring Member of Parliament in the Ayawaso Central Constituency (hereinafter referred to as “Constituency”) and I refer to the above subject matter.
My attention has been drawn to the fact that the Greater Accra Regional Minister and Member of Parliament of the Ayawaso Central Constituency. Hon. Henry Quartey, who is also a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary primaries in the same constituency, intends to use illegal security personnel to disrupt the election process on the 27th of January, 2024 to his favour.
Amongst other things, the Greater Accra Regional Minister intends to employ private security personnel and personnel from the Ghana Police Service who owes allegiance to him to intimidate and harass delegates whom he perceives as my supporters on the said day. I also have information that during counting, he intends to unleash hooligans to snatch ballot papers and possibly burn them to halt the process if it goes otherwise.
Together with my team, we have intercepted a grand agenda by the Regional Minister to stuff the ballot boxes with his thumb printed ballot papers when voting is ongoing. As law-abiding citizens, we do not intend to take the law into our own hands.
We therefore petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to take a special interest in the elections of Ayawaso Central and deploy professional police personnel to the venue on the voting day to avoid clashes and ensure the election is free and fair.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of Parliament and a member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Council of Elders, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, has urged the party’s leadership to deal with all individuals who are causing controversies in the party.
Professor Mike Oquaye’s comments come on the back of recent attacks from Mr. Agyapong on the Minister responsible for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama Constituency, Francis Asenso Boakye, over the Minister’s alleged collusion with the Judicial Service to sell state lands to private developers.
Mr. Agyapong further called on delegates to reject Mr. Asenso-Boakye in the party’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
Questioned in an interview with 3News’ Beatrice Adu on what he would say to Kennedy Agyapong, Professor Oquaye said it is imperative for the party to bring all to order.
“Kennedy Agyapong made a public statement that the elections were free and fair. In the interest of the party, I will think that the elders, of which I am one, and the National Executive must put it on their agenda to ensure that everybody is put in a certain order…not him alone,” the former speaker of the legislature stated.
