General News of Thursday, 13 December 2012
Source: Adomonline
Armed machomen on unregistered motorbikes and an unregistered vehicle have reportedly made two attempts to cause grievous bodily harm to Sammy Awuku, Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, reports reaching Adomonline.com indicate.
An intercepted text message from Mr Awuku read, “Some machomen on unregistered motorbikes and black Toyota unregistered pick-up stormed my residence last nite and early dis morning demanding my whereabouts and threatening to end my life. Am on my way to report d incident at d police hqtrs. Tanx sammi awuku.”
Sammy Awuku and other leaders of the NPP have been very vocal in their rejection of the results of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections and vowed to protest until the Electoral Commission reverses the victory announced for President John Mahama of the NDC.
The NPP has also announced its decision to challenge the results in court.
Speaking to Adom News, Sammy Awuku said his neighbours reported that at about 12 midnight the group of machomen stormed the area and asked passersby the location of his house, but sped off when young men in the area started mobilizing.
Early this morning they returned, and vowed to kill him if the NPP went ahead with its challenge in court, he said.
He was not home both times, Awuku reported, but was on his way to make a formal complaint to the police.
Mr Awuku said some actions by supporters of the ruling party and some state security agencies in recent days was “very provocative,” pointing out that the protesting NPP supporters gathered at the Obra Spot in Accra and in some other parts of the country were not wielding any offensive weapons to warrant an attack on them.
Meanwhile, reports reaching adomonline.com say a large group of cutlass wielding youngmen wearing the campaign t-shirts of NDC candidate for Ododiodio, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye have attacked petty traders at UTC and Agbogbloshie, all parts of the business district in Accra.
Petty trading in these areas is dominated by Akan speaking persons who traditionally vote for the NPP.
A trader who spoke to Adom News said the young men carried away the wares of the traders and anybody who resisted was slapped with the broad side of the cutlass.
Security experts who spoke to Adomonline.com said if the report was true, it was a sign of an escalation of the rising tensions between supporters of the two leading parties, which could have dire consequences for Ghana.