Violence erupted during the New Patriotic Party polling station elections at Tepa Akwasiase Zongo in the Ahafo Ano North Constituency of the Ashanti Region, leaving two people stabbed.
The disturbance reportedly occurred during the electoral process amid allegations of manipulation, intimidation and violations of electoral procedures.
Eyewitnesses said machetes were used during the clash, while warning shots were allegedly fired to disperse angry party supporters.
Some aggrieved party members accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Nana Agyemang Prempeh, of influencing the electoral album and allegedly ensuring that only his supporters were allowed to participate in the voting exercise.
Speaking to the media after the incident, the dissatisfied members called on the national, regional and constituency leadership of the NPP to intervene immediately to restore calm and credibility to the process.
According to them, the elections should be suspended until concerns regarding transparency and fairness are fully addressed.
The group also alleged that electoral guidelines were breached during the exercise, claiming that the official voter album was not properly used.
They further accused organisers of allowing nursing training students and students of Tepa Senior High School to vote without proper verification.
In addition, the aggrieved members alleged that some individuals believed to be sympathisers of the opposition National Democratic Congress were allowed to take part in the election.
They warned that the incident could damage the party’s image and weaken grassroots confidence in the constituency if urgent measures are not taken to address the situation.
The members also appealed to the party leadership to ensure peace, fairness and due process in the conduct of internal elections, while urging constituency executives and the MP to refrain from allegedly using “macho men” to intimidate party supporters.
Meanwhile, security presence in parts of Tepa has been intensified following the disturbances as tensions among supporters remain high.
Source:
oyerepafmonline.com
