The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised serious allegations against the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing them of secretly recruiting members of their affiliated small-scale mining group to disrupt the upcoming general elections.
According to the NPP, the NDC is planning to deploy a vigilante group called the “Eagle Force” to NPP polling stations to create chaos during the polls.
Addressing the press at the party’s headquarters at Asylum Down on Wednesday, 20th November, 2024, the NPP National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, alias Nana B, claimed that recently as November 11, 2024, the NDC’s Committee on Mining, led by Tony Aubynn, a former Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, held a covert meeting with pro-NDC small-scale miners at the conference hall of Mawuli Hotel in Bidiem, located in the Obuasi West Municipality.
Allegations
He stated that one of the aims of the meeting was to recruit some members of the pro-NDC small-scale miners to join the NDC’s Eagle Force vigilante group. This group, he alleged, would be deployed to certain NPP polling stations with the intent to cause mayhem on election day.
“Let them be advised that this will not happen! The NPP is also aware of Mobile Money transactions directly linking leading NDC members to payments made to these trained thugs. These individuals are being deployed to strategic locations in the Upper East and Upper West Regions to foment chaos. We have also uncovered plans by the NDC to use ambulances to transport weapons to these thugs on election day,” he asserted.
Nana B emphasised that this deceitful strategy would not succeed under their watch. He added that on election day, the NDC plans to deploy thugs on motorbikes to shoot indiscriminately in NPP strongholds, aiming to create fear and panic, suppress voter turnout, and disrupt the counting process.
“We are also well-informed that some leading NDC members, including a retired Commissioner of Police, are coordinating efforts to escalate insecurity in the Ashanti Region and other NPP strongholds,” he said.
Plan
He explained that this plan includes engaging armed robbers and other criminal elements to increase cases of robbery and kidnapping in the days leading up to the elections. “We are assured that the security forces are on top of this, and Ghanaians have very little to worry about. However, we need to make them aware of the evil intentions of the opposition party—an opposition that has spent the last four years frustrating government business and now seeks to use the defeat awaiting them on December 7 to destabilize our democracy,” he added.
Nana B also noted that despite the enactment of the Anti-Vigilantism Act, the NDC, on November 4, 2024, launched their vigilante group, the “Azoka Boys,” in the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region. He claimed that these individuals, known for their violent activities in previous elections, have been tasked with intimidating voters in the region to undermine voter confidence and disrupt the electoral process.
“Rest assured, the NPP will not sit idly by and allow these hooligans to succeed. It is disheartening that the launch of the Azoka Boys occurred in the full glare of the public, yet critical stakeholders—including the media, civil society organizations, religious bodies, and traditional authorities—have remained silent. This silence emboldens the NDC’s dangerous plans, which they intend to extend beyond the Ashanti Region to northern Ghana, where the NPP has made significant inroads,” he said.
Assurance
The NPP National Organizer assured Ghanaians that the party is aware of the NDC’s plans and will use all lawful means to safeguard the sanctity of the December 7 electoral processes and defend Ghana’s democracy. He urged the Inspector General of Police to arrest all individuals involved in the launch of the Azoka Boys in Asawase and investigate the NDC’s planned acts of vigilantism. He also called on all state security and intelligence agencies to be vigilant and proactive in thwarting the NDC’s dangerous machinations.
“Let history serve as a warning to the NDC: no party since 2000 has ever succeeded in using violence to win an election. On the contrary, violence undermines the efforts of those who plan it and strengthens the resolve of the party it targets. The NDC would do well to abandon their destructive plans and focus on competing peacefully and fairly, even if the writing is on the wall against them. They should remember that there is hope for the NDC after John Dramani Mahama,” he stated.
He further indicated that the NPP remains a party of peace, committed to free, fair, and transparent elections.
However, he cautioned that the party would not countenance any attempts to subvert the will of the people through intimidation or violence. He called on all well-meaning Ghanaians to reject the NDC’s tactics and stand firm in defending democracy. “Let us show the world once again that Ghana is a shining example of peaceful and credible elections,” he added.
