The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has tightened security arrangements ahead of its regional executive elections, warning contestants against bringing bodyguards or large groups of supporters to voting centres.
The NPP regional elections are being held across all 16 regions to elect executives who will lead the party at the regional level for the next four years.
In the Greater Accra Region, the Elections Committee says about 400 police officers will be deployed to provide security for the 700 delegates expected to participate in the exercise.
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Ebenezer Doku, a member of the NPP Greater Accra Regional Elections Committee, said the security arrangements were being coordinated with the Tema Regional Police Commander, Mr Asiedu.
“We have security being tightly taken care of by the Tema Regional Police Commander, Mr Asiedu. We have 700 delegates, and we have a minimum of 400 policemen,” Mr Doku said on Eyewitness News on Friday, August 14, 2026.
Bodyguards at voting centres
Mr Doku said contestants had been instructed not to bring personal bodyguards to the election centres as part of measures to prevent intimidation, congestion and disturbances.
“We want to have a very peaceful election, and so we’re asking the contestants that they should not come with bodyguards. We don’t want to have issues with a candidate having people following him into the inner perimeter,” he said.
The elections committee has also restricted the number of people who can accompany each contestant to the voting centre.
According to Mr Doku, each aspirant will be given a minimum of three observer accreditations, allowing a limited number of representatives to accompany them.
“We are giving all aspirants a minimum of three observer accreditations, so that you can have one or two people following you, but certainly not a crowd,” he explained.
Security tightened
Mr Doku said the decision was informed by previous experiences in which large groups of supporters accompanying candidates had contributed to disturbances at election centres.
“Some of these people, when they follow, are those who create the problems for us at our various election centres,” he said.
He therefore appealed to all contestants and their supporters to cooperate with the security personnel and comply with the election guidelines.
“The police are there to give everyone protection, so we expect to have a very peaceful election,” Mr Doku added.
The NPP regional elections form part of the party’s internal reorganisation, with newly elected regional executives expected to oversee the party’s activities in their respective regions for the next four years.