New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, has attributed the party’s defeat in the closely contested Akwatia by-election to deliberate voter suppression by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking on Joy News after the polls, he argued that the outcome would have been different if voter turnout had met expectations.
“We believe that our victory lay in turnout, and if people had come out in a manner we anticipated, we would have won that election. But a systematic effort by the NDC to suppress the vote created fear and panic,” Mr Ahiagbah said.
He cited an incident involving the NDC’s National Vice Chairman, Sofo Azorka, which he described as a violent attack that discouraged voters.
“Sofo Azorka, NDC’s National Vice Chairman, in a very violent way accosted an individual who had not said anything to him except to give an interview, give his view or report on what is happening. And then he accosted him, abused him in the manner he did, and then his people slapped him. And today, as we speak, he’s home, probably watching us on TV, and we are wondering, what is this?” he recounted.
According to him, such acts heightened tensions and instilled fear among the electorate, which ultimately affected voter participation.
“The implication of that is that it heightens tension in the environment and, in most likely situations, created fear and panic for most of the people who could have come out to vote and did not come out,” he added.
The NPP’s loss in Akwatia handed victory to the governing NDC, but Mr Ahiagbah maintained that the result does not reflect the true strength of his party in the constituency.
Source: Myjoyonline
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