Gunshots in Tamale over voter transfer

The timely intervention by security personnel at the Tamale Metropolitan Office of the Electoral Commission (EC) averted a possible conflict between polling agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the ongoing voter transfer exercise at the office.

There were no casualties, neither has there been any arrest. However, the EC office has temporarily been closed down. 

The voter transfer exercise which began on September 9, 2016 is scheduled to end today. 

Disagreement

According to the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Ebenezer Tetteh, both the NDC and the NPP had been bussing people to the centre to transfer their votes to bolster their parties’ chances of winning in some constituencies in the December general election.

He explained that the confusion broke out when the two groups disagreed on who was to be served first in the transfer exercise.

ASP Tetteh said while the argument festered, the people heard gunshots behind the EC office, causing fear and panic among the people who ran for their dear lives.

When the police arrived at the scene, they retrieved two empty shells of an AK 47 assault rifle.

He said as part of measures to ensure that peace prevailed on the last day of the exercise today, the Police Command would deploy more men to the various hotspots in the region to forestall any further disturbances.

Accusations

Meanwhile, the NPP has accused sympathisers of the NDC of being behind the disturbances.

 The NPP claimed agents of the NDC prevented some NPP supporters from the University for Development Studies (UDS) from transferring their votes, claiming those students did not meet the necessary criteria to enable them to carry out the transfer.

The NDC, however, denied the allegation and claimed that those behind the alleged shootings were from the NPP stock.