BY Daniel Bampoe
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohunu, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of two senior officials of the governing party over what it describes as violent and unlawful conduct during the recently held Akwatia by-election.
The petition, signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, accuses National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Vice Chairman, Alhaji Sofo Awudu Azorka, and the party’s Abuakwa North Constituency Communications Officer, Abdul Wahab Amadu, of engaging in acts of violence, issuing death threats, and disrupting the electoral process.
Allegations Against Azorka
According to the NPP’s complaint, Chairman Azorka was captured in widely circulated video footage verbally abusing and physically assaulting Alhaji Osman Masawudu, the NPP’s National Third Vice Chairman, at the Akwatia Lorry Station polling station.
The petition alleges that Azorka shoved Masawudu, brushing his face in the process, before one of his associates slapped him in public view.
The NPP further claims that Azorka threatened to kill both Masawudu and Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, conduct the party says created fear among voters and jeopardized the integrity of the by-election.
Threats from Wahab Amadu
The petition also highlights threats allegedly made by Abdul Wahab Amadu during the election.
Speaking in Twi, and swearing both by Allah and by his late father’s grave, Amadu is reported to have said:
“Annoh Dompreh, Nana B; if they joke, wallahi, they will all die… Afenyo-Markin, Annoh Dompreh, Nana B, they are the people we are looking for in this by-election. We are waiting for them. We are ready for them.”
The NPP insists such statements amount to incitement and open threats to the lives of key party leaders, including MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B), and Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Background on Political Violence Concerns
The petition draws attention to Azorka’s past involvement in political vigilantism, noting his role as founder of the infamous “Azorka Boys”, a vigilante group aligned with the NDC that was later outlawed under Ghana’s anti-vigilantism law.
The NPP argues that given this background, the threats attributed to him must be taken seriously.
Political violence has been a recurring issue in Ghana’s elections.
Despite the signing of the Political Parties Code of Conduct and repeated calls by the Electoral Commission for peace, isolated incidents of intimidation, assaults, and inflammatory rhetoric continue to mar by-elections, raising concerns about the country’s democratic stability.
Legal Basis for Complaint
The NPP cites multiple provisions of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), including sections on assault, causing harm, threats of harm, and offensive conduct likely to breach the peace.
It also references the Electoral Commission’s regulations and the Political Parties Code of Conduct, both of which require parties and their members to maintain civility during elections.
NPP’s Demands
In its petition, the party is calling on the Ghana Police Service to:
1. Conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the incidents.
2. Arrest and prosecute Chairman Azorka, his associate who allegedly slapped Masawudu, and Abdul Wahab Amadu, along with any accomplices.
3. Provide a public update on the progress of investigations to reassure the public of the police’s commitment to law and order.
Call for Urgent Action
The NPP warns that failure to act decisively risks emboldening political actors to employ intimidation and violence in future elections.
“Allowing such conduct to go unchecked risks normalizing political thuggery, eroding public trust in both the Ghana Police Service and the democratic process,” the petition states.
General Secretary Justin Kodua concluded by urging the police to treat the matter with urgency, stressing that Ghana’s reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa depends on credible elections free from intimidation and violence.
