One of the destroyed billboards
What could easily pass as a health walk turned out to be a billboard destruction session in the Ablekuma Central Constituency over the weekend.
This was when members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) decided to run riot, in the process destroying billboards of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for the area, Jefferson Kwamina Sackey.
Several campaign billboards of Jefferson Sackey, a Deputy Director of Communications at the Presidency, were destroyed during last Saturday’s walk by supporters of the NDC parliamentary candidate for the area, Abdul Latif Dan.
The billboards, located along the Outer Ring Road from Flamingo to Kaneshie First Light, were torn, defaced, and some completely removed, leaving them damaged and in disrepair.
The vandalism detracts from policy discussions, shifting focus to hostility and undermining the democratic process.
NPP supporters in the area have since expressed concern over this sabotage, believing it erodes electoral integrity.
“Such actions reflect a disturbing trend of political hostility in the constituency, where destructive tactics are favoured over constructive debate,” an obviously disappointed Jefferson told DAILY GUIDE.
He could not fathom why an otherwise peaceful exercise, as it was thought to be, could turn into such marauding gangsterism without any provocation.
The NPP candidate has, however, asked his supporters to exercise restraint in the face of these needless attacks and provocations, since he is confident of winning the upcoming election.
“Our focus is win the elections and annex the seats, so we are unperturbed by these acts of vandalism,” he told the paper.
He has, however, called on the police to investigate the case and bring the perpetrators to book, since it flies in the face of democracy and projects the NDC as a violent party.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu