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Former President John Dramani Mahama has accused President Nana Akufo-Addo of losing control of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) with his all-die-be-die mantra which, according to the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is to blame for the weekend’s violence that marred the Electoral Commission’s mop-up voter registration exercise at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region.
“I condemn the violence at the EC voter registration centre during the mop-up exercise in Dormaa on Sunday”, Mr Mahama said, adding: “I join the rest of our well-meaning compatriots to mourn the loss of the NPP activist who was killed by gunshots discharged by armed thugs of his own party”.
According to Mr Mahama, “It is crystal clear now for all to see that armed NPP thugs are running rampage everywhere and this portends a clear and present danger to our democracy”.
Violence, he said, “must never be an option in our democracy”.
“Unfortunately”, the former President observed, “it is increasingly clear that having nurtured and democratised violence by his ‘all die be die’ mantra, Nana Akufo-Addo has lost control of his own party, just as he has lost control of many sectors of the economy in Ghana”.
In January 2021, Mr Mahama promised, “a new administration under my leadership will fix our economy and restore justice and peace to our beloved Ghana”.
Meanwhile, three persons have been arrested by the police command in the Bono Region in connection with the clash between supporters of the two parties.
The arrested persons are Ali Musah, 33; Ibrahim Acquah, 33; and Amos Aning, 38.
The deceased, Kofi Larbeth, 36, who was pronounced dead at the Dormaa-Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital, was injured in the clash together with two others, Kwame Gutan, 33; and Elliasu Gabriel, 45.
A pickup and motorbike were set ablaze in the skirmishes.
It is unclear what started the confusion that led to a violent clash during the Electoral Commission’s mop-up registration exercise.
Meanwhile, the NDC in the District has denied ever busing Ivorians to registration centres there.
The party’s Dormaa West Communication Officer, Stephen Sarfo, told Nana Ama Agyarko on Accra100.5FM’s mid-day news on Monday, 10 August 2020 that the allegation was a fabrication by the NPP.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana, over the weekend, said it would not shield any of its staff found to have taken part in the alleged registration of some 66 Ivorians in the Bono Region.
In a statement, the EC said: “Our initial investigation reveals that the said registration occurred in Banda Kabrono in the Bono Region”.
“As a Commission determined to compile a register, which reflects eligible Ghanaians only, we take this matter very seriously”, the election management body said, adding: “The Commission has launched a full-scale investigation into the matter and will not shield any staff (permanent or temporary) found to have been involved in the alleged illegal registration of foreign nationals”.
The Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, accused the NDC’s General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia of masterminding the registration of the Ivorians and called for his arrest.
According to Mr Sarfo, however, “It can never be true that NDC bused Ivorians into Bono to register”.
“Where were we going to bus the Ivorians from? What is the registration number of the bus and from which Ivorian town? In fact, the whole of that day, they couldn’t register more than 35 people”.
“It’s not true that we bused Ivorians into the country to register. They had planned to batter our supporters already. It was all part of their plan”, Mr Sarfo insisted.
