The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a warning to the Ghana Police Service ahead of the upcoming Akwatia by-election, declaring its intention to defend itself if the police fail in their constitutional duty to provide security and protect citizens.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, August 27, the NPP Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, cited past incidents of police inaction and brutality as justification for the party’s stance.

“We make this reasonable request with the hindsight of the police brutalities on the non-violent Let My Vote Count Alliance demonstrators in September, 2015,” Mr Ahiagbah stated. “Several demonstrators were trapped and mercilessly assaulted, and one lost his eyes in the process.”

He also referenced the unresolved issues surrounding the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, where questions were raised about electoral violence and the role of security forces. These historical events, he said, have shaped the party’s current expectations.

“Learning from the unresolved incident from the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun election, the New Patriotic Party will defend itself if the police fail to do so,” Mr Ahiagbah declared.

The statement follows a series of demands made by the NPP, including calls for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to release the list of senior officers deployed for election duty, and for all personnel to wear identifiable name tags to prevent infiltration by non-state actors disguised as law enforcement.