Some youths reportedly affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) allegedly attacked and injured several assembly members in the Effutu municipality of the Central Region.

The incident occurred on Monday during an attempt by the group to take over a public toilet facility and demand the keys.

William De-Carthia, assemblyman for the Ndaamba Electoral Area, confirmed the attack in an interview with Adom News.

He recounted that over 40 youths, riding in branded NDC pickups, motorbikes, and taxis, stormed all 18 electoral areas within the municipality wielding cutlasses and other weapons.

“They claimed their party was in power and had instructed them to take control of the toilet facility,” he said.

Mr. De-Carthia added that this was not the first such incident, noting a similar attack weeks earlier where several people were brutally assaulted. He revealed that he himself was slashed in the back with a cutlass.

Some residents have expressed concern over the rising tensions and have urged authorities to intervene to prevent further escalation.

Source: Kofi Adjei 

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The supporters, angered by what they described as a broken campaign promise by President John Dramani Mahama, stormed the NDC constituency office in Effutu.

They forcefully broke into the office, removed furniture and equipment, and set them on fire, demanding action from the party’s leadership.

Addressing the media on behalf of the aggrieved supporters, Angela Mansah expressed frustration over Dr. Annan’s omission, despite his significant contributions to the NDC’s growth in the constituency.

“James Kofi Annan has sacrificed so much for this party. He has contested twice and worked tirelessly to strengthen the NDC in Effutu. During the campaign, President Mahama promised to appoint him, yet he has been overlooked,” she said.

The supporters insist that Dr. Annan deserves recognition and a role in President Mahama’s administration, warning that failure to appoint him could lead to further unrest in Winneba.

They have called on the President to fulfill his campaign promise, emphasizing that rewarding Dr. Annan is necessary to maintain peace and unity within the party in the Effutu constituency.

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In the petition, the NDC highlighted a series of issues that they believe threaten the peace and fairness of the upcoming elections scheduled for December 2024.

These include the removal of their party’s billboards, the alleged leakage of sensitive nomination documents, and discrepancies in the voters’ register.

Billboard Destruction Allegations

The NDC accused the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Effutu, Hon. Zubairu Kassim, of leading a group of NPP youth in an illegal operation to tear down their billboards.

One of the billboards, which featured the image of former President John Dramani Mahama, was pulled down near Klimovic junction in Winneba. The party claims this act of vandalism was followed by a midnight operation targeting additional NDC billboards across the constituency.

The NDC expressed concern that these actions by the MCE and his party members could provoke retaliation and lead to conflict between political supporters in the area.

Leaked Nomination Information

The party also raised alarms over claims made by the NPP’s parliamentary candidate, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who reportedly disclosed that he had access to the nomination documents of both the NDC parliamentary candidate and an independent candidate during a radio interview on Osimpa FM.

Afenyo-Markin allegedly threatened to take legal action against individuals who endorsed the independent candidate, raising concerns within the NDC about how such sensitive electoral information had been leaked.

The NDC demanded an investigation into how their opponent gained access to these confidential documents, which should only be under the custody of the Electoral Commission.

Voter Transfer Discrepancies

Another significant issue raised in the petition involves a discrepancy of 3,009 votes in the Effutu voters’ register.

According to the NDC, during the recent voter transfer period, data provided by the Electoral Commission’s headquarters showed a bloated figure compared to the daily reports issued to political parties by the local district office.

The NDC argued that this discrepancy casts doubt on the accuracy of the voters’ register and could undermine the credibility of the election results.

NDC’s Demands

The Effutu NDC is calling for a response to their previous petition regarding the voter transfer discrepancies.

They are also requesting a full-scale investigation into the leakage of the nomination documents and urging the paramount chief to intervene in calling the MCE and the district officer of the Electoral Commission to order.

The NDC emphasized that failure to address these issues could lead them to take legitimate actions to protect their interests in the constituency.

Given Nenyig Ghartey VII’s role as the traditional administrative head and Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, the NDC expressed confidence that his intervention would help prevent any escalation of political tension in the constituency ahead of the elections.

The move according to the NDC is to safeguard the integrity of the elections and ensure a peaceful atmosphere.

In the petition addressed to the chief, the NDC accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of providing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) with nomination forms filed by the NDC’s Parliamentary candidate, James Kofi Annan.

The party described this as a serious breach of trust.

Also, the NDC raised concerns about the transfer of 3,005 votes to the Constituency by the EC, which the party considers illegal.

They also expressed frustration over the destruction of several billboards featuring their Parliamentary Candidate and the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.

Constituency Secretary, Abraham Henry Arthur, in an interview with Accra-based Class FM emphasized that, the party is demanding an explanation from the Electoral Commission regarding how their candidate’s nomination forms were leaked.

The NDC is also awaiting a response to an earlier petition concerning the unlawful transfer of voters to the constituency.

The party has called on the Municipal Chief Executive of Winneba, Kassim Zubeiru, to stop the destruction of NDC billboards or face consequences, as the party plans to devise strategies to protect its properties.

The petition further highlights the NDC’s growing concerns over the fairness of the electoral process in the Efutu constituency ahead of the elections.

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This transfer comes amid the ongoing limited voter registration and transfer exercises.

The Effutu NDC expressed their dissatisfaction with the timing and rationale behind the transfer, highlighting concerns about the disruption of the ongoing voter registration and transfer processes.

They questioned the urgency of transferring Madam Akotia at such a critical time and demanded clarity on whether she had committed any offense warranting immediate transfer.

If it was a routine administrative transfer, the NDC argued that it should have been done either before or after the current exercises to avoid disruptions.

The party also raised concerns about possible political interference, noting that the transfer came shortly after Madam Akotia reportedly had conflicts with elements within the Effutu New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership.

The NDC speculated that the transfer might be related to her resistance to alleged attempts by the NPP to manipulate the voter registration process.

Additionally, the Effutu NDC expressed alarm over reports of NPP elements allegedly encouraging individuals from various constituencies to transfer their votes to Effutu in exchange for money.

The party suggested that the new appointment in Effutu might be a political maneuver to benefit the NPP in the upcoming elections.

The Effutu NDC called on the public to refrain from illegal vote transfers to the Effutu constituency, emphasizing that only students in educational institutions in Effutu and individuals who have lived in the constituency for over 12 months are eligible to transfer their votes legally.

The party urged Madam Jean Mensah and the Electoral Commission to reverse the decision and allow Madam Akotia to continue her duties until the end of the ongoing exercises to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.

Madam Pratt was a member of the NDC’s Effutu Constituency.

The visit, which was on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, saw Mr Mahama’s 2020 running mate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang in attendance.

The NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, General Secretary, Asiedu Nketia; Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak; the party’s 2020 parliamentary candidate, James Kofi Annan among others were also present.

Mr Mahama, during the visit, eulogised the deceased for being instrumental in the organisation of the party at Effutu.

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He explained Madam Pratt was an influential member whose dedication was admired by many from the PNDC era even before the formation of the NDC.

Neenyi Bondzie, an opinion leader at Effutu and Kango Arthur, Alternative Disputes Resolution member, who settled the dispute, informed the Winneba District Magistrate Court on Thursday, August 7, and the Court closed the case after the two parties affirmed their satisfaction of the outcome of the settlement.

Mr Bondzie, who pleaded with the Court to allow him to settle the matter out-of-court, informed the Court in his report that the resolution went well and Dr Annan had duly apologised to Chief Supt. Okanta, the complainant and to the entire members of the registration review committee chaired by him who has also accepted the apology.

The Court, presided over by Isaac Oheneba-Kufpur, closing the case, commended the panel who spearheaded the settlement for the good work done and the parties involved for smoking the peace pipe in the interest of Effutuman.

It would be recalled that on Tuesday, July 21, at 0930 hours during the sittings of the Registration Review Committee at Latter Day’s Saints Church at Winneba Junction, Dr Annan with others who were not part of the meeting angrily stormed the premises and questioned why the meeting was started without a representative of the National Democratic Congress.

According to the facts as presented to the Court, Chief Supt. Okanta as the chairman of the committee tried to calm him down saying he should direct his grievances to him as the Chair for redress.

This infuriated Dr Annan, who in a fit of anger, shouted in reply “I will not talk to you, you are the Chairman of the committee and so what? you are the reason why we are not enjoying peace in Winneba.”

Dr Annan was later arrested and charged with offensive conduct on his first appearance in court and on his second appearance, another charge of “Interfering with the work of a committee” was added.

The Court, however, suggested that since Dr Annan was a leader and the complainant was also a Commander of an institution, an amicable solution must be pursued for peace and tranquility to prevail in the area.

Hence, the move by Mr Bondzie and others to settle the matter out of court.