Barely 48 hours after 12 presidential aspirants were disqualified from this year’s election, the police have beefed up security at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission (EC) in Accra. When the Daily Graphic visited the premises of the EC yesterday, there was tight security at the various entry points of the building.
Almost all the vantage positions, including the main entrance to the EC building, had at least three policemen fully armed.
A number of police personnel were also spotted sitting in a police armoured vehicle, with their eyes scanning through the people who attempted to access the EC building.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Adabraka District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Kwesi Ofori, said the police would maintain their presence throughout the election period.
Background
The EC last Monday rejected the nomination of 12 political party presidential aspirants to contest this year’s election.
According to the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei, the disqualified aspirants did not meet the criteria for filling the nomination forms.
She cited the forging of signatures as one of the major reasons that got most of the aspirants disqualified from participating in the December 7 polls.
Some of the political parties whose presidential aspirants were rejected are the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), the United Progressive Party (UPP), the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), the United Front Party (UFP) and the Independent People’s Party (IPP).
The four who successfully went through the process are the flag bearers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; the National Democratic Congress (NDC), President John Mahama; the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, and an independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah.
No trouble yet
Asked whether there had been any instances of untoward behaviour from the disqualified presidential aspirants, Mr Ofori said since their names were mentioned last Monday, none of them had caused any distrurnbance on the premises of EC.
“The atmosphere on the EC premises has been peaceful since Monday and this morning,” he added.
Mr Ofori said the decision of the police to tighten security on the EC premises was to announce to the supporters of the disqualified presidential aspirants to abort any plan to come and cause chaos.
Commenting on whether or not the police would allow any political party to access the EC premises, he said the police presence at the EC was only to maintain law and order, adding, “Whatever discussion people come to have with them is out of our jurisdiction”.
Mr Ofori, therefore, warned supporters of any political party, especially those belonging to the camps of the disqualified presidential aspirants, not to show up at the EC’s building to foment trouble because the police would not spare them.
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