The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Richard Ahiagbah has challenged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to explain how an Inspector General of Police (IGP) can help a political party to win elections.
This was after the NDC and their minority members in parliament had raised concerns against the leaked tape that captured an alleged plot to oust the IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare, a tape which the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has formed a committee to investigate.
“The NDC must show Ghanaians how to use an IGP to rig elections, and if it has worked for them since they appear to believe it can be done,” Mr Ahiagbah tweeted.
Following the leaked tape some Minority members including Member of Parliament for Builsa North James Agalga said that the assurance that was given by the Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery that nothing untoward would happen in the 2024 general elections despite the leaked audio tape was not enough.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Tuesday, July 11, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament said “The reassurances from the Minister of Interior are not enough.
“First of all, the Minister doesn’t appear to be sure of who the persons are, those who were caught plotting to subvert the will of the Ghanaian people in 2024 to merely assure us that nothing untoward will happen, they have confidence in the IGP, do not have in contemplation any attempt to replace him with the people caught on tape is not reassuring at all.”
He added “Probe it to unearth those behind the audio and bring them to the book. The president, if you ask me, is the person who must put in the mechanism to ensure that those who are behind it are brought to book.”
The Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery dismissed reports that stalwarts of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are scheming to remove the Inspector General of Police.
“There is no plot to remove anybody,” he told journalists in Accra on Tuesday, July 11.
He added “I can assure you that I serve a president who is committed and has respect for human rights. Under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo we will make sure that 2024 is peaceful.
“One thing to be sure, 2024 will not be a violent election by anybody and no one will want to thwart the will of the people. If you vote us in, you vote us in, if you vote us out, you vote us out.”
Portions of an audio that allegedly captures the plot to remove Dr Dampare said that “Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us.
“It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me but that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all.
“I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think they are our men get I (it is ok)t… Because we need to break this 8.
“That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ” one of the senior officers told the senior NPP members who is believed to be a former regional chairman of the party and now a traditional ruler.”