NPP primaries: Kennedy Agyapong’s agents share stories of threats, intimidation and assault

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New Patriotic Party flagbearer hopeful, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong had recourse to issue verbal threats to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia during the party’s Special Delegates Congress held on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

Kennedy Agyapong’s outburst captured whiles he was on a phone call was said to have been ignited by a situational report on the state of his agent representing him in North East Region during the vote.

The NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Wontumi had later sought to suggest that Ken’s outburst was due to him being misinformed about the specific incident.

However, the campaign team of Kennedy Agyapong on Monday, August 28, 2023, held a press conference where some of its agents shared their stories of threats, intimidation and assault suffered during the electoral process.

Hajia Humukin Saed, who represented the Assin North Member of Parliament in the North East Region on Monday told the media how she had to abandon her post in the early hours of the election as a result of threats to her life at the polling station.

Having observed incidents of infractions and the presence of unaccredited individuals at the polling centre in contravention of the party’s approved modalities, the agent said she sought to draw the media’s attention as the police present had refused to pay heed to her concern.

“While I was complaining to the police officer, one of them [unaccredited persons] approached us and asked what Hajia is complaining about, I told him ‘my brother, what is happening here is not right. Only 28 people are expected to vote here, why don’t we work within the confines of the election rules to ensure peace.’ His response was that all these people are our own party people but I insisted no, that is not what the rules say,” she narrated.

She added that when the voting process finally commenced, the delegates were showing the casted votes to one another which raised concerns and the situation became more tensed when the regional youth organiser raised his ballot paper after voting.

“The was tension in the room and having been to elections before, I became concerned… the voting booth was setup such that people from observing from outside the hall could determine one’s choice on the ballot. The tension inside was too much. When I initially entered, I went out to survey the place and when I re-entered, I was asked to use a different exit. I realised that the door was not opening when I tried to open it.

“The policemen standing there told me that it had been locked from beneath and that got my senses heightened, I figured some people had evil mind.

“So as soon as I opened the door, I started raising alarm outside because if I had done that inside my life could be in danger. While raising the alarm, the TV3 cameraman attempted to grant me an interview, I was insisting that the electoral college was 28 but one guy challenged me that it was 30.

“They started rushing on me and questioning who I am, do I know where I am amidst other threats. So they pushed me and I fell. I started running and signalled our personal security to rush and bring the motorbike. I jumped on the motorbike and went straight to my hotel room,” she said.

She stated that she was later contacted by the national campaign manager who put her on a call with the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

“I was joined in a call with the campaign manager, the IGP and the regional police commander, so it was four of us on the line. IGP asked the police commander what was going on in his region but the man was telling something different from the reality.

“So I interjected by saying no, that’s not true three times. Then IGP said shut up three times, and asked the campaign manager to get me off the line. Ten to fifteen minutes later my campaign manager called me that the IGP says if I go around spreading false information he will cause my arrest,” she said.

Hajia Saed added that the campaign team made arrangement for her removal from the region while her co-agent took over at the polling station.

The campaign manager however clarified that the IGP’s reaction on the phone was based on the briefing he received from the regional commander and thus commended him for his intervention describing it as helpful to the situation.

Next, the co-agent to Hajia Saed, Ganiru also narrated his experience at the polling station.

Ganiyu on his part alleged that delegates were allowed to show their votes to others as a means of ensuring conformity in their voting pattern while an attempt was made by a party executive to bribe him and agents of other candidates.

“When the people were lining up to vote they were all showing their vote to the next person following them. After voting, the first three people showed their votes to each other, confusion erupted at the turn of the fourth person who is the regional youth organiser. When that happened, I had been told by my superior, the national campaign manager not to sign the pink sheet.

“Then the regional chairman said they are going to give us some amount of money, GHC2000. I said no, we are not there for money and he insisted that they were going to increase the amount but I said no, whatever amount they were going to give, we were not ready for it.

“So, afterwards we told him we are leaving, myself and the agent of Hon Kyerematen and Kojo Poku’s agent. Then he run and locked the door asking that we better go and sign, if we don’t sign, we were not going to leave the hall. Then I said chairman we will not sign because we are under supervision, unless they kill us… He even told us that if we go out, he will allow boys to attack us,” Ganiyu alleged.

He disclosed that things begun to deescalate after reports of Kennedy Agyapong’s outburst reached persons at the polling station leading to the normalisation of things for voting to proceed.

Charles Addo, the Bono East campaign representative for Kennedy Agyapong who was wearing a neck brace with visible swells on his face said he was subjected to two rounds of beatings during the election.

He said this was after he had insisted that some two regional executives seeking to represent Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as agents was against the laws guiding the elections.

“I told the regional commander and some of his men that two regional party officers were seeking to represent the vice president contrary to the rules of the game. Then the police commander confirmed my position and called the EC official and the regional organiser, one Sulley outside and explained to him.

“It was left with the deputy secretary, Liman Seidu who was resisting. So he was forcefully brought out by the police and when he came out he was engaged in an exchange with the police inquiring from them who the complainant was.

“This was around 8:30 when the election had not started, a police officer pointed me out that their colleague regional executive is the complainant. So he asked me if it was true and the next thing he told me was that do I know that the organiser who was ejected is my boss in line with party structures? I answered that we are not here to do boss work, we are here to monitor the system to ensure order.

“The next thing I saw is the two of them jumping on me unawares. My phone fell and I even had GHC40,000 which they took away from me,” he narrated.

Charles Addo alleged that he was again assaulted in the house of the Bono East regional chairman when a meeting was called for executives.

“All I saw is being surrounded by two people who jumped on me from both directions beating me. Our women organiser who was sitting right beside me sought to intervene and she was pushed to the ground causing her to suffer a fracture to her arm. She is currently receiving treatment at Techiman,” he said.

Addo said he was initially sent to a hospital in Techiman for treatment but was later transferred to Kumasi.

In his immediate statement after Saturday’s election, Kennedy Agyapong said he felt proud and motivated by the support in his camp in the “heat of backbiting, intimidation, and smeared campaign” he suffered and is hopeful of clinching victory in the party’s general delegates election slated for November 4, 2023.

In the viral video of Kennedy Agyapong reacting to alleged threats of assault and intimidation on his agents, the Assin North MP was heard swearing to give President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia “a showdown.”

Saturday’s election by the NPP was aimed to pruning the number candidates in the party’s flagbearer race from 10 to five.

Kennedy Agyapong came second with some 132 votes behind vice president Bawumia who polled 629 votes out of the total votes of over 900.

Source: Ghanaweb