Justin Kodua Frimpong
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly cautioned its parliamentary aspirants from camping party delegates ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary elections across the various constituencies in the country.
Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP General Secretary, who announced this at a press conference in the NPP’s stronghold of Kumasi, capital of Ashanti Region, on Monday, said any candidate who would flout this directive would be sanctioned.
The NPP Scribe stated that, “there shall be no camping of delegates,” stressing that the wearing of t-shirts, display of posters or caps of the contestants at the voting centres would not be allowed by the party so the contestants should take note.
He announced that there shall be no congregation on the day of voting, adding that canvassing for votes, or gathering of party members for any purpose whatsoever a day before voting is also prohibited.
Justin Kodua, who virtually talked about the rules governing the polls, also noted that there would be no proxy voting, strongly cautioning that “no individual shall have the right to either remove names or insert names to replace deceased persons.”
He also said it is prohibited for any delegate to publicly display cast ballots, capture images of cast ballots, and make gestures to show whom one voted for, saying, “Anyone who is caught violating this provision shall have his or her vote declared a spoiled or rejected ballot.”
Justin Kodua stated that stoutly-built men, also known as ‘machomen’, have been banned from providing security at voting centres during Saturday’s parliamentary primaries, indicating that anyone who would flout this rule may be in trouble.
Justin Kodua made this statement whilst announcing a 32-point protocol guiding the upcoming elections.
According to him, the party has engaged the Ghana Police Service to provide adequate security during the elections therefore no machoman should try to provide security, stressing that the elections should be peaceful across the country.
“Security activities rest exclusively with the Ghana Police Service, and access beyond security perimeters is restricted to delegates, persons appointed by the National Secretariat and region as election supervisors, contestants, and their accredited agents,” he said.
According to him, the Electoral Commission (EC) has also been engaged to work and ensure free and fair election, adding that “we trust that these protocols will continue to be transparent, free, and fair electoral process.”
He also said “we acknowledge with sincere gratitude the unwavering cooperation from all stakeholders as we pursue an equitable, impartial, and transparent process to elect our parliamentary candidates for the 2024 general elections.”
Touching on other issues, Justin Kodua concluded that the party members should desist from commenting about sensitive issues concerning the Manhyia Palace, the official seat of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whom the party respects.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi