The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Richard Ahiagbah says the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) should provide proof of their claim that the NPP is involved in the leaked tape alleging a plot to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

According to him, there is no evidence that proves that Dr George Akufo Dampare can singularly determine the outcome of an election in the interest of any political party.

He explained that if the NDC knows how Dr Dampare can help influence an election in favour of any political party, they should brief the NPP on how to do it.

“I’m tempted to believe that somehow the NDC knows how to use an IGP to influence an election outcome. And if they do, they should tell us how they did it in the past, so all of us can learn. But as far as I am concerned, in observing this Fourth Republic, there is no evidence, no evidence whatsoever, that a police IGP can singularly determine an electoral outcome for any political party for that matter.

“So we in the NPP, we don't have any evidence of that. We don't know how to do it. But somehow they [NDC] know how to do it. They must tell Ghanaians how to use an IGP to influence election in their favor, so we all know how not to do it,” Mr Ahiagbah said.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, the NPP Director of Communications said that the NPP sides with the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee to investigate persons who are involved in the alleged tape.

He, however, expressed concerns with the position of the NDCs on the case - when the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee has not come out with any report.

“So the thing about this tape is that it's concerning. Now, I have made a deliberate effort not to listen to it, because for me, I see it to be a possibility of many things. While I agree principally for the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee that is put together to look into it, they must do their job, diligently. We're all interested in the matter, but it worries me to say that before that committee's work, or any committee dealing with this tape comes up with any report, there seems to be a conclusive position from the NDC,” he said.

“Collectively focused to come to the place to say that this is NPP. I don't get it. That was why I raised a concern that if they know how to use an IGP to rig an election, they should show us because we don't know and there's no evidence in this Fourth Republic and I'll show you some evidence.”

Commenting on whether the NPP or NDC are politicising the leaked tape, Mr Ahiagbah said that since no NPP executives were on the tape, there is no proof of their involvement - adding that "So the conclusive position of the NDC is worrying and I say that they should tread cautiously."

He reiterated the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu's analysis which he suggested that you cannot use an IGP to rig an election even if you wanted to.

The NPP Director of Communications maintained that "……Even if you did that, there are people in the service who as a matter of conscience would probably go tell on you that this is what you're doing. So unless the NDC has a way, there's a foolproof way they do it, they should tell us. But as a matter of fact that this tape should be investigated, the concerns, the matters raised there are concerning."

Nevertheless, Mr Ahiagbah said that the President has the power to replace any government official in regard to his performance since the power is vested in him to do so.

He further explained that it is not in the will of anybody for the President to act if he wants to oust the IGP.

"But I know for sure that in relation to the appointment of the IGP, the president has the capacity, and the power to appoint is invested with the president. So if the president appoints and if there's a reason he wants to disappoint subject due to performance or lack of performance, he could do that. And so it doesn't lie in anybody's conspiracy for the president to act. That power rests with him and he has not indicated anything in that direction," the NPP Director of Communication stressed.

Mr Ahiagbah, however, disagreed with the former Deputy Information Minister for NDC, Felix Kwakye Ofosu who argued during the discussion that the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery appeared flippant in making his comment on the alleged leaked tape.

• There’s no plot to remove IGP – Interior Minister

On the back of this, Mr Ahiagbah said that "I don't understand how he comes to that conclusion. The Interior Minister is a sector minister under whom the IGP works. So if he speaks in a manner he spoke to say that the IGP has no question to answer to that extent, he stays at post.

"The minister represents the President in that ministry and so has spoken and therefore spoke the mind of the President. So I'm not sure how Felix and the NDC think they can speak."

He noted that "So then what it is that I understand the Interior Minister to say is that then you end up investigating anything anybody brings up. But he has a principal job of ensuring the security of the state. You don't want to put him on a wild goose chase just because somebody records something and puts it out."