President Akufo-Addo has described as regrettable the violence that engulfed Thursday’s by-election at Ayawaso West-Wuogon in Accra.
In a statement, the President said the police is committed to investigating the chaos in order to bring the culprits to book.
In an apparent response to former president John Mahama comments on the matter, Mr. Akufo-Addo said the NPP will not compete with the NDC over which party is more violent in the country.
“The isolated incident of violence, which occurred in the early stages of the election, was unfortunate and regrettable, and I condemn it in no uncertain terms. A by-election should be a peaceful and happy event, no matter how competitive. The Police is committed to conducting a rapid inquiry into the matter, and I expect all persons who are found culpable, at the end of the process, to face the full rigours of the law.
“It is important also to state that the New Patriotic Party, the party from which my Government was born, would never dream of competing with any other political party in unleashing violence on the Ghanaian people. Our policy, as espoused by the founding father of our political tradition, is “to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property-owning democracy in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice as the principles to which the Government and laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen”, and that is what my Government is doing, ” the President said.
Mahama in his reaction to the attacks inflicted on NDC during the polls said: “I want to sound a caution that NDC has a revolutionary root and when it comes to unleashing violence no one can beat us to that. It is just that we midwife this country’s democracy and that is why we must be the first to respect it. That is why we are acting as a party that is docile and respecting the rule of law. But if we believe that the government cannot protect our people and we believe that the government is using its vigilante groups and illegal forces to intimidate and harass and injure our people, then we may have to advise ourselves”.
So far 18 people are recorded to have sustained injuries including gunshots wounds in the by-election.
Below are details of the statement
PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO CONGRATULATES LYDIA SEYRAM ALHASSAN, MP-ELECT FOR AYAWASO WEST WUOGON
I congratulate Lydia Seyram Alhassan on her emphatic victory in Thursday’s by-election, in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. The electorate in the constituency has made an excellent choice, and I am confident she will serve their interests in Parliament with distinction.
The isolated incident of violence, which occurred in the early stages of the election, was unfortunate and regrettable, and I condemn it in no uncertain terms. A by-election should be a peaceful and happy event, no matter how competitive. The Police is committed to conducting a rapid inquiry into the matter, and I expect all persons who are found culpable, at the end of the process, to face the full rigours of the law.
It is important also to state that the New Patriotic Party, the party from which my Government was born, would never dream of competing with any other political party in unleashing violence on the Ghanaian people. Our policy, as espoused by the founding father of our political tradition, is “to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property-owning democracy in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice as the principles to which the Government and laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen”, and that is what my Government is doing.
I commend the Electoral Commission for the professionalism it displayed in conducting a free, fair, transparent and credible election, despite the isolated challenge it faced.
The Ghanaian people have, again, demonstrated to the world their deep attachment to the principles of democratic accountability and the rule of law. Ghana’s democracy is robust, and will only grow from strength to strength.
……signed……
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President of the Republic
