Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has linked Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh’s controversial comments regarding the Ablekuma North parliamentary election to the disruptive actions of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in the constituency.
Annoh-Dompreh had called on NPP supporters in Ablekuma North to stand by their fellow party members in confrontations with members of the NDC.
Addressing a gathering of party supporters during a visit by the NPP caucus leadership to the party’s parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, Akua Afriyie, Annoh-Dompreh stated: “If indeed you are a member of the NPP and you go to meet your fellow party member fighting a member of the NDC, join your party member to beat the NDC member.”
The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP accused the NDC of deliberately obstructing the Electoral Commission (EC) from completing the collation process and warned that the NPP would not tolerate further delays.
In an interview on Channel One Newsroom, Ahiagbah stressed the need for stakeholders, including the government, to address the root causes of the ongoing election issues.
“This whole election in Ablekuma North is a problem, and I think it is one that should preoccupy all of us, including the president of the country, because the EC has called on the government to provide enough security for them to continue, collate, and conclude that election.
“So really, the conversation around the minority chief whip I think should not constitute the matter,” he said.
He highlighted that the disruption caused by NDC supporters has hindered the conclusion of the election.
“The thing is, why haven’t we concluded that election? It’s because the NDC supporters in the constituency are disrupting the process.
“The IGP is not doing what he is supposed to do, as directed by the High Court, to provide security for that election to be concluded. So those, for me, are the key issues,” he explained.
Ahiagbah also referenced an incident on January 17th, where NDC supporters, led by their Greater Accra Regional Organiser, disrupted and vandalized property at the EC regional office.
He argued that this act of violence has been overlooked in the current discussions.
“Why are we not talking about that? That’s the actual violence. That is what is happening. These are the effects of those actions. I don’t think that we should be promoting violence, but we should be solving the problem.
“If tonight we are focused on talking about Hon. Annoh-Dompreh and what he’s said, and forgetting the misbehavior of NDC supporters, that will be doing an injustice to the issue,” Ahiagbah asserted.
He emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes to resolve the problem.
“I think we should focus on that. That is where we can solve the problem. Because if we solve the problem, he won’t hold a mic to say what he is saying.
“That is not to discount it but to say that why don’t we solve the problem,” Ahiagbah stated.
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‘Help your NPP colleagues beat NDC members’ – Annoh-Dompreh to supporters