The Tepa Akwasiase Zongo polling station election of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ahafo Ano North Constituency of the Ashanti Region turned violent, leading to the stabbing of two persons.
The chaos reportedly erupted during the electoral process amid allegations of manipulation, intimidation and breaches of electoral procedures.
Eyewitnesses say machetes were used during the confrontation, while warning shots were allegedly fired to disperse agitated party supporters.
Some disgruntled party members accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Nana Agyemang Prempeh, of influencing the electoral album and allegedly ensuring that only his supporters were allowed to participate in the voting exercise.
Addressing the media after the incident, the aggrieved members called on the national, regional and constituency leadership of the NPP to immediately intervene to restore calm and credibility to the process.
According to them, the elections should be suspended until concerns surrounding transparency and fairness are fully addressed.
The group further alleged that electoral guidelines were flouted during the exercise, claiming the official voter album was not properly used.
They also accused organizers of allowing nursing training students and students from Tepa Senior High School to vote without adequate verification.
In addition, the dissatisfied members alleged that some individuals believed to be sympathizers of the opposition National Democratic Congress were permitted to take part in the election.
They warned that the developments could negatively affect the party’s image and weaken grassroots confidence in the constituency if urgent steps are not taken to resolve the matter.
The members also appealed to the party leadership to ensure peace, fairness and due process in the conduct of internal elections, while urging constituency executives and the MP to refrain from allegedly using “macho men” to intimidate party faithful.
Meanwhile, security presence in parts of Tepa was heightened following the disturbances as tensions among supporters remained high.
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