The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has stated that it would take action after it receives a detailed report from its regional representative, the Electoral Commission, and the Ghana Police Service over the electoral violence that transpired in Yendi during the party’s parliamentary primary over the weekend.

The counting procedure for the party’s parliamentary election on January 27, 2024, was hampered due to stolen ballot suspicions.

The election, between the incumbent Yendi MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans station (MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, became violent during the counting process at the Yendi polling station.

• NPP to hold parliamentary primaries for constituencies with sitting MPs tomorrow

The General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, spoke in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM and assured that the party’s national executive committee will meet to deliberate once they receive the reports from the three stakeholders mentioned above.

“As I speak to you, we are yet to receive a formal report from our representative who went to the region, the Electoral Commission, and the Ghana Police Service, and when we get all these reports, the national executive committee will meet to deliberate on them and take a decision on Yendi. For whatever transpired there, once we get the report, the party will take a decision on it.”

“Several things happened at Yendi so unless we have the full facts, it will be difficult to comment on any action,” Kodua Frimpong further told Umaru Sanda Amadu.

Some executives of the NPP, despite the violence and disruption, went ahead to declare the incumbent Yendi MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama, as the parliamentary candidate-elect, which the Electoral Commission disassociated itself from.

Mr Alexander Ato Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, incumbent Member of Parliament of Effutu, has called on Ghanaians to be mindful of tagging security agencies, teachers, and public servants with party colours.

It was about time society desisted from continuously tagging personnel of security agencies and other institutions with party colours because they disagreed on certain issues, he said.

“If the institutions were not allowed to work and work well,  the country’s  democracy would be nothing to write home about,” he noted.

Mr Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament and the Effutu Constituency NPP Parliamentary candidate, made the call at a delegate’s conference for his acclamation at Effutu Ateitu, a community in the Effutu Municipality, to contest the December 7 election.

He referred to recent attacks on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo-Dampare, by some members of the party who disagreed with him on certain security matters, and had called for his removal, describing that as “not the best”.

 “Let us disagree with some of their policies and criticise them, rather than calling for their transfers and removal.”

He expressed concern over the politicisation of almost every national issue, which was destroying the country, and urged the public to be tolerant with each other’s views and work together even if they disagreed for the development of Ghana.

The MP stated that the public must not be deceived that parliamentarians were enemies as sometimes portrayed on television but rather they were friends who hardly fought each other.

“The NPP believes in diversity and it does not matter one’s religion or ethnicity to get equal opportunity, which is always based on merit and it has demonstrated this through the selection of its flagbearer.”

“We are going to work as a team with the flagbearer, day and night, to ensure we break the eight,” he added.

Delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in New Juaben North have elected Nana Osei-Adjei as their parliamentary candidate to represent the constituency in the December general election.

Nana Osei-Adjei polled 253 out of the 488 total valid votes cast to beat Mr Seth K. Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Minister, and Messieurs Samuel K. Annor, Joseph O. Djaba, and Philip T. Yeboah.

Mr Acheampong polled 183 votes, Mr. Djaba, 47, Mr. Yeboah, three, and Mr. Annor, two votes.

Nana Osei-Adjei would replace Mr. Kwasi Boateng Adjei, the sitting Member of Parliament of New Juaben North, and contest against Mr. Samuel Adongo, the parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress.

Ms. Dorcas Akoto-Donkor, the  Municipal Electoral Officer, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that 510 delegates were expected to cast their ballots.

However 490 delegates exercised their franchises, with 488 valid votes cast and two rejected ballots.

Meanwhile, the GNA noted that the NPP in some constituencies, including the New Juaben South and Akuapim South in the Eastern Region did not hold the primaries.

In New Juaben South, the incumbent MP, Mr. Michael O. Baafi, was nominated unopposed, while the primaries were postponed till further notice in Akuapim South.

Major General Emmanuel Kotia, Commissioner General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, has led the Commission to roll out an exercise to reaffirm the boundary lines that existed between Ghana and Togo.

He has therefore explained that the exercise was not to demarcate Ghana’s land boundaries with Togo but to reaffirm them.

The Ghana Boundary Commission and the National Land Boundary Commission of Togo are the two institutions leading the exercise aimed at overseeing the construction of International Boundary Pillars by contractors from the two countries.

The exercise is intended to verify and establish clear and legally binding boundaries for both countries, with the aim of resolving any disputes while ensuring compliance with international law.

Major General Kotia during the launch of a joint Ghana/Togo Land Boundary re-affirmation exercise in the Oti Region at Likpe Mate, noted that the Commission had done previous exercises along the Ghana/Togo Boundary and had completed the reaffirmation of the Volta region area.

He said the reasons for the re-affirmation exercise was because the Commission realised that some of the constructed pillars along the land boundary line were either old or removed due to natural causes hence, the reaffirmation would give details on them for the necessary actions.

Major General Kotia said the Commission also realised that the distance between some of the already existing pillars were as far as three kilometres, hence the exercise would bring in intermediary pillars to make it easy for people to identify the international boundary line.

He said once the reaffirmation was completed, the Commission in a joint action with Togo, would construct boundary pillars to replace main boundary pillars in existence, introduce intermediate boundary pillars as well as Border Post pillars to guide security agencies to identify boundaries at crossing points.

Major General Kotia said the exercise would require the support of all stakeholders such as the traditional authorities, media, community leaders, youth organisations, local authorities and community members to help with the sensitisation of the population.

The exercise along the Ghana/Togo Boundary, which began in 2022 is being done with funding from the German Government using GIZ/African Union Border Programme (AUBP) as its implementing Agency.

It is currently on its fourth phase, which will continue from Wli Afegame to Kpassa covering a total of 130 kilometres and at the end, the Commission would have covered a total of approximately 450 kilometres out of the 906-kilometre of land boundary line between Ghana and Togo.

Mr Kadanga Patchasi, Director, Administration of National Territory, Togo, said the sensitisation regarding the exercise would also be carried out in Togo adding that the exercise would not affect the peaceful co-existence enjoyed over the years.

He said the exercise was a transparent one, which required the support of all the people since the Technical Team that would be engaged could be freely approached for any form of support.

Mr Joshua G. Makubu, Oti Regional Minister, said as neighbours, Ghana and Togo had always maintained a strong bond based on mutual respect, shared cultural and social beliefs, and the common goal of ensuring peace and security.

He said the reaffirmation exercise was about ensuring that the solid foundation for mutual respect, collaboration, and peaceful coexistence between the communities remained intact.

Mr Kofi Adams, Member of Parliament (MP) for Buem Constituency, said the reaffirmation would help the beneficial communities to know the boundaries of their respective countries, which would in turn enhance the peaceful coexistence that existed.

He was hopeful that the reaffirmation exercise in the Oti region would also be successful due to the commitment of all involved in seeing the exercise’s fruitfulness.

Mr Kouevi-Koko Folly, Prefect of Danyi Province in Togo, said the reaffirmation exercise was aimed at fostering the continuous unity that was enjoyed by the two nations, adding that Togo had completed its reaffirmation of its borders with Benin successfully and now continuing with Ghana.

He said the Technical Team that would be engaged in the reaffirmation would be provided with the necessary identification to enable the community members to easily identify, relate and offer the necessary support when they begin work.

Madam Janet Emefa Obro-Adibo, Guan District Chief Executive (DCE), said Ghanaians were related to the people of Togo in diverse ways regardless of the landmarks or demarcations, adding that landmark boundaries were not recipe for hostile segregation.

Nana Dzahene Oforitey III, Chief of Likpe Mate, commended the Commissions from Ghana and Togo for the sensitisation and added that the traditional authorities were ready to support them in carrying out the exercise.

The Commission led the media and stakeholders to one of the boundary pillars at Wli, a border town with Togo which has a boundary pillar built in 1977.

Reverend Herbert Djaba, Director in charge of Survey and Delimitation, Ghana Boundary Commission, said there was an initial pillar constructed in 1929 but was eroded by a river.

He said the new pillar that would be built would have a dimension of two metres deep, 1.5×1.5 metres in length and 1.5 metres above ground which would be strong and visible to be seen everywhere adding that there would be similar intermediary pillars as well.

The Commission also presented educational materials including 400 pieces of exercise books, 24 mathematical sets, 180 erasers, 144 pencils and 400 pens to the Guan District.