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IGP Warns Political Parties Against Using Macho Men To Cause Chaos On Election Day
Dr. Dampare also condemned the practice of outfitting party foot soldiers in state security uniforms on election day with the intent to create chaos at polling stations. “This culture of machoism, which makes people think that biceps are ways to determine the strength of a person, will not be tolerated,” he emphasized. “If any of such people is found closer to a polling station, a community, an environment, or a collation center trying to intimidate the people, we will find a place for that person to sleep.”
The National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) has issued a stern warning to political parties against deploying well-built individuals, commonly referred to as ‘machomen,’ to intimidate voters during the upcoming general elections. This caution was delivered by the Chairman of NESTF, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, during an engagement with political party representatives on December 3.
Dr. Dampare also condemned the practice of outfitting party foot soldiers in state security uniforms on election day with the intent to create chaos at polling stations. “This culture of machoism, which makes people think that biceps are ways to determine the strength of a person, will not be tolerated,” he emphasized. “If any of such people is found closer to a polling station, a community, an environment, or a collation center trying to intimidate the people, we will find a place for that person to sleep.”
The meeting was a follow-up to a prior engagement held two weeks earlier, aimed at ensuring transparency and violence-free elections on Saturday, December 7. The task force highlighted three key security concerns based on intelligence gathered from various constituencies and warned of stringent actions against lawbreakers.
Dr. Dampare reiterated the neutrality of the security task force, stating, “We have brought you here to inform you of our plans so that when we begin to act, you (political parties) won’t say that we have taken sides.”
Political party representatives expressed satisfaction with the measures outlined by NESTF to safeguard the integrity of the elections. General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, assured that the NDC’s election day appointees would adhere to the task force’s guidelines. Similarly, the Director of Elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Evans Nimako, affirmed the NPP’s commitment to the rules but raised concerns about the growing spread of misinformation about the electoral process, urging immediate action to address it.
Representatives from other political parties, including the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC), also pledged their cooperation with security personnel stationed at polling centers to ensure a peaceful election.
NESTF’s engagement with political parties highlights the collective effort to uphold Ghana’s democratic values and ensure a secure and credible electoral process.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com
