Former Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Kwabena Tahiru Hammond, has criticised the heavy police deployment witnessed at polling centres during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primary, describing it as an unnecessary waste of national resources.
Speaking after voting, Mr Hammond said he was outraged by the scale of security presence at what he described as an internal party exercise, stressing that such deployments were disproportionate and avoidable.
“I thought it was atrocious. This is an internal party election, yet the level of animosity and antagonism generated within the party made it look like a national security emergency,” he said.
According to him, about 50 police officers, including a commander, were deployed to his constituency, with information indicating that other constituencies had as many as 70 officers on duty.
Mr Hammond questioned the justification for such numbers, noting that even during general elections, where parties compete nationally, the level of police presence is often lower.
“When we were contesting national elections against opponents, did we have this kind of police presence?” he asked, adding that the situation reflected poor use of state resources.
He clarified, however, that the police administration should not be blamed for the deployment, explaining that heightened tensions created by some candidates and their supporters compelled security agencies to act to maintain peace.
Mr Hammond condemned what he described as campaigns rooted in ethnic, regional and religious sentiments, calling them divisive and irresponsible.
“The election was reduced to ethnocentricity and foolish bigotry. That is what led us here,” he said.
Despite his concerns, the former MP acknowledged that the heavy security presence ensured a peaceful process, noting that no major incidents were reported.
He concluded by warning that the manner in which the campaign was conducted could pose challenges for party unity going forward, urging party leadership to focus on reconciliation after the primary.
“The results will be known, winners and losers will emerge, but the real challenge now is unity in the party,” he added.
