The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised serious allegations against the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing the opposition party of secretly recruiting members for a vigilante group aimed at disrupting the upcoming general elections.
The NPP claims the NDC plans to deploy a group known as the “Eagle Force” to create chaos at NPP strongholds on election day.
In a press briefing held at the party’s headquarters in Asylum Down yesterday, the NPP National Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, alias Nana B, stated that the NDC was actively recruiting members from its affiliated small-scale mining groups.
According to Nana B, a covert meeting was held on November 11, 2024, at the Mawuli Hotel in Bidiem, Obuasi West Municipality, where the NDC’s Committee on Mining, led by Tony Aubynn, a former Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, coordinated the recruitment.
NDC’s plot
Nana B alleged that the goal of the meeting was to enlist members for the Eagle Force, which he claimed would be deployed to various polling stations to incite violence and disrupt the electoral process.
“Let them be advised that this will not happen,” he declared, adding that the NPP had uncovered evidence of mobile money transactions linking NDC members to payments made to individuals being trained for this mission.
He further claimed that some of these individuals would be stationed in the Upper East and Upper West regions to cause chaos. Nana B also accused the NDC of planning to use ambulances to transport weapons to these operatives on election day.
The NPP National Organizer further claimed that the NDC was planning to deploy thugs on motorbikes to shoot indiscriminately in NPP strongholds to instill fear, suppress voter turnout, and disrupt vote counting.
He also pointed to a retired Commissioner of Police as allegedly being involved in coordinating efforts to escalate insecurity, particularly in the Ashanti Region, a key NPP stronghold.
In addition, Nana B claimed that the NDC had been working with criminal elements to increase incidents of robbery and kidnapping in the days leading up to the elections. He assured Ghanaians, however, that the security forces were aware of these threats, and would take appropriate action.
Vigilantism
Nana B also highlighted the recent launch of the NDC’s vigilante group, the “Azoka Boys,” in the Asawase constituency of the Ashanti Region.
These individuals, known for their violent history in previous elections, are allegedly tasked with intimidating voters to undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Nana B lamented that critical stakeholders, including the media, civil society organizations and traditional authorities, had remained silent on this issue, which he argued emboldened the NDC’s dangerous plans.
Call on IGP
The NPP assured the public that it would not sit idly by while the NDC sought to disrupt the election. Nana B called on the Inspector General of Police to arrest those involved in the Azoka Boys’ launch, and urged state security agencies to be vigilant in preventing any acts of vigilantism or violence.
He further emphasized that the NPP would use all lawful means to ensure a free, fair and peaceful elections on December 7, 2024.
“The NPP remains a party of peace and democracy. No party has ever succeeded in using violence to win an election, and the NDC would do well to abandon these plans and focus on competing peacefully,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to reject intimidation and violence, and stand firm in defending their democracy. “Let us show the world once again that Ghana is a shining example of peaceful and credible elections,” he said.
Sure victory
Touching on the outcome of the December polls, the NPP National Organizer expressed strong confidence in his party’s prospects, saying all indicators pointed to a decisive victory for the NPP, both in the presidential race and in securing a clear majority in Parliament.
“We are winning the presidential election and will have a clear majority in Parliament. We see it, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) knows it too. All that is required is for Ghanaians to turn out in large numbers on December 7 and cast their votes,” Nana B stated.
He said the electorate had carefully compared the records of the NPP and the NDC, as well as the track records of the presidential candidates.
“The people have assessed our achievements against those of the NDC. They’ve looked at Dr. Bawumia’s record, vision, and integrity and compared it to John Mahama’s record, lack of vision, and questionable integrity,” he noted.
The NPP National Organiser highlighted the growing appeal of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s bold policy proposals, which include a 100% tax amnesty for businesses, a flat tax rate, a flat duty rate for imports, and incentives for key sectors such as tourism, mining, and small businesses.
He emphasized that these policies, aimed at youth empowerment and business growth, have generated confidence among Ghanaians, particularly in the slogan “Bawumia Means Business, and Bawumia Is for Jobs.”
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