The Ghana Police Service will assume full responsibility for security arrangements during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primaries scheduled for 31 January, National Organiser of the party, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, has said.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (21 January), Nana B disclosed that the decision was reaffirmed at a joint stakeholder meeting involving the NPP Presidential Elections Committee, the Ghana Police Service and the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to him, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) personally chaired the meeting, which brought together representatives of all five presidential aspirants, national party executives and senior officials of the EC.
“The entire security architecture of the presidential primaries is in the bosom of the Ghana Police,” Nana B said, stressing that no private or party-affiliated security personnel would be allowed at polling centres.
He explained that the directive was necessary to prevent clashes and confusion on election day.
“If we allow every aspirant or dignitary to bring their own security to polling centres, it will be a recipe for disaster,” he stated.
Nana B said the police briefed stakeholders on their nationwide deployment plan, indicating that all polling centres had been classified as potential flashpoints. He revealed that an average of a hundred to a hundred and fifty officers would be deployed per polling centre, with reinforcements provided where intelligence suggested heightened risk.
He added that the military would support police operations only in specific areas with known security challenges, including parts of Bawku.
The EC, he said, will supervise the electoral process itself, including ballot printing, voting, counting and declaration of results. Police officers have already been deployed to secure ballot materials from printing centres through to constituency destinations.
Results, Nana B explained, will be counted at polling stations and transmitted to the national collation centre at the NPP headquarters in Accra, where the EC will officially declare the outcome.
He said representatives of all presidential aspirants expressed satisfaction with the preparations and security arrangements.
“Our main focus as national executives is to ensure a free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful election,” Nana B said.
Source: asaaseradio.com
