The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament has issued a stern warning to boycott Parliamentary business and also engage in lawful protests if alleged attacks on Electoral Commission (EC) officials, attributed to elements of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), are not curtailed.
Jerry Ahmed Shuaib, MP for Weija-Gbawe and Second Minority Deputy Whip who addressed the media in Parliament on Monday, January 20, 2025, expressed concerns over what he described as “widespread lawlessness and violence” following the declaration of President John Dramani Mahama as the winner of the recent general election.
Hon Jerry Shuaib accused prominent NDC figures, including Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Lt. Col. (Rtd) Gbevlo Lartey, and Malik Basintali, the NDC Deputy Communications Officer, of encouraging party supporters to disrupt the Commission’s operations.
According to him, the latest is the violence unleashed on officials and properties of the Commission by NDC thugs led by the Greater Accra regional organizer during the collation of the Ablekuma North parliamentary result.
The NDC’s actions in the Ablekuma North, he said, were a calculated attempt to prevent the EC from declaring the NPP candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh, as the winner of the parliamentary seat.
The Electoral Commission corroborated the Minority’s claims in a statement, highlighting the attacks on its offices, destruction of property, and threats to its staff during the collation of results. It appealed to the Ghana Police Service for protection to enable them to complete the collation and declaration of results in the constituency.
Jerry Ahmed Shuaib emphasized the NPP’s commitment to democracy, noting that the party peacefully conceded nearly 60 parliamentary seats lost by narrow margins.
“In constituencies such as Dome Kwabenya and Aowin, where we lost by close margins, the NPP respected the outcomes without resorting to violence,” Shuaib noted.
He called on President Mahama to address the ongoing disruptions: “To President Mahama, we call on you to immediately call your party thugs to order. You cannot pretend to be unaware of this lawlessness and violence.”
The Minority also urged the Ghana Police Service to take swift action to protect Electoral Commission officials from the attacks and maintain order and warned, “If these violent acts continue, we will be left with no choice but to protest through lawful means and withdraw cooperation in Parliament,” Shuaib warned.
The Minority appealed to all Ghanaians to stand up for peace and support the Electoral Commission in executing its mandate.
“Let the Commission declare the results in Ablekuma North. Let peace prevail, and let the will of the people stand,” Shuaib stated.