Election Watch Ghana has appealed to the Ghana Police Service to urgently convene a meeting with all New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirants and party leadership to establish clear guidelines and enforce a strict code of conduct ahead of the party’s January 31 flagbearership primaries.
In a statement issued on Monday, the election watchdog said the intervention is necessary to calm rising tensions and ensure a peaceful and credible internal election.
The group expressed serious concern over recent reports of violence linked to the primaries, citing incidents in Sunyani where aspirant Naa Torshie was allegedly chased from a campaign venue and forced to address supporters from a vehicle. In a separate incident, a social media activist was reportedly assaulted by supporters of a rival camp.
Election Watch Ghana described the incidents as “alarming and unacceptable,” warning that such conduct threatens the integrity of the electoral process and public confidence in the party’s democratic practices.
The organisation urged the police and other relevant stakeholders to act swiftly by deploying adequate security to identified hotspots, strictly enforcing a code of conduct, and ensuring that all aspirants and their supporters campaign peacefully.
It also appealed to NPP members to exercise restraint, tolerance, and calm throughout the campaign period, stressing that violence has no place in a democratic contest.
“Democracy thrives on peaceful competition, not violence,” the group stated, adding that party leadership bears responsibility for ensuring a fair, orderly, and violence-free primary.
Election Watch Ghana further called on the police to provide regular updates on the security situation and the measures being taken to prevent further incidents.
