Police making arrests at NPP Bantama constituency election
Three people have been arrested and one person injured after a group of heavily built men stormed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bantama Constituency election at the Kumasi Cultural Centre, disrupting the voting process.
The suspects arrested by the police include the constituency organiser, Shaibu Bamba, the Adoato polling station chairman, identified only as Abu, and a third individual.
The disturbance began shortly after the Ashanti Regional Police Commander visited the election centre and departed.
According to reports, seven heavily built men entered the venue and destroyed electoral materials, including the ballot box, ballot papers, plastic tables and chairs, bringing the exercise to a halt.
The election, involving 1,218 delegates, had already been overshadowed by controversy after three party members secured an injunction challenging the process over the removal of their names from the party’s voter album.
As a result of the legal dispute, the Electoral Commission (EC) declined to supervise the election, leaving the party to conduct the poll independently.
The violence occurred during the party-led voting process.
The three suspects have been taken to the Ashanti Regional Police Command for questioning, while the injured person was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for emergency treatment.
Police have declared the election venue a crime scene and have launched investigations into the incident.
Some delegates who witnessed the disturbances have been recounting the events surrounding the disruption.
