The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has alleged that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is recruiting thugs to disrupt the upcoming election this December.

Henry Nana Boakye, also known as Nana B, the National Organiser of the NPP, made this allegation against the NDC during a counter-press conference held at the party’s headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, November 20.

“Information available to the NPP reveals that several months ago, the NDC has been training thugs in various communities, including Obuasi East constituency, under the guise of private security training. These individuals are being prepared to disturb the electoral process, particularly in the Ashanti region, which is the NPP’s stronghold,” he alleged.

He further claimed that, in recent times, the NPP has discovered that the NDC is supporting illegal miners to cause confusion in the elections.

“The NDC committee on mining, led by one Tony Aubynn, former Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, held a secret meeting with some NDC-affiliated small-scale miners at the conference hall of Mawuli Hotel in the Obuasi West municipality. One of the aims of the meeting was to recruit members of pro-NDC small-scale miners to form part of the NDC’s Eagle Force vigilante group, which will be deployed to some NPP polling stations with the intention of causing mayhem on election day,” he further accused the NDC.

The organiser went on to accuse the NDC of several actions that could jeopardise the election, including arming the said thugs and using state ambulances to transport weapons to these thugs in their various communities.

Nana B also stated that the NPP has gathered intelligence suggesting that the NDC intends to fuel kidnapping and armed robbery activities to create fear and intimidation, especially in NPP strongholds.

He emphasised that knowing this, the NPP will not allow the NDC to have its way.

“These deceitful strategies will not work under our watch,” he added, insisting that the NPP will not allow anyone to rig the election.

The NPP's press conference is a direct response to the NDC's claims at a similar media engagement on Tuesday.

The NDC's National Communication Officer, Sammy Gyamfi at that news conference said the party was going to petition the Inspector General of Police over fears there may be a plot to steal the people’s mandate in this election.

The party particularly accused the government of plotting to rig the election in the Ashanti Region using a top military officer in charge of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

They say this military official, who was found to have played a role in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence has been rewarded with a promotion instead of being punished as recommended by the Commission that investigated that incident.

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