“Any soldier involved in the Akwatia by-election will be dealt with as a thug” – NPP

Richard Ahiagbah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Director of Communications, has said any soldier involved in the Akwatia by-election will be dealt with as a thug.

According to Richard Ahiagbah, the NPP has received credible intelligence indicating that the NDC plans to hide behind the guise of national security to terrorise some residents and voters in Akwatia.

He noted that the Ghana Police has already deployed 5,000 officers to manage security in the constituency, and also the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has said the military is not needed to maintain order during the by-election.

Richard Ahiagbah further alleged that the Director of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, Richard Jakpa, is moving around Akwatia with soldiers, threatening indigenes.

Speaking to the media in Accra on Wednesday, August 27, Richard Ahiagbah stated, NDC plans to “hide behind the guise of national security to terrorise some residents and voters in Akwatia.”

“Richard Jakpa has reportedly been perambulating Akwatia with soldiers, threatening some indigenes and residents to leave the town before the by-election in their own interest,” he claimed.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that any soldier involved in the Akwatia by-election will be considered and dealt with as a thug,” he declared.

Richard Ahiagbah further called on President John Mahama to call Richard Jakpa to order.

“We urge the President, under whose watch national security falls, to call Richard Jakpa to order and ensure that no soldier meddles in the Akwatia by-election,” Ahiagbah said.

The NPP’s statement comes following the growing political tension in Akwatia.

Also, Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has said that any acts of violence during the Akwatia by-election will be met with equal resistance.

“We won’t bring violence here. NDC is not a violent party, but on the 2nd of September, if anybody decides to come to the town or the voting grounds with violence, they will come, but they will not know how to leave. Violence begets violence”, Gbande declared.

Mr. Gbande further charged supporters, saying, “Let us go in our numbers to conduct thorough work. Let us encourage the people to vote for our candidate. We can’t win this election if we don’t go out to work. Let us be encouraged”.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has served notice that anyone who comes with arms during the Akwatia by-election will be dealt with by the Police.

The IGP assured the public of the Ghana Police Service’s readiness to provide a safe Akwatia by-election.

IGP Yohuno gave the assurance after the Police Management Board (POMAB) visited the High-Risk Operation Training Centre at Akyerematen on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

According to the IGP, the Ghana Police Service is prepared to safeguard voters, electoral officers, political parties, and the media.

Speaking to recruits at the Police Training School at Kyerematen in the Eastern Region, IGP Yohonu stated, “During the Akwatia by-election, if you come with arms, we (Police) will deal with you with arms.

We have brought men here, and they are trained on how to handle arms. As we are going to the election ground, we decided to come and sharpen our skills for the by-election.

Today, they will move to Akwatia and assess all the threats just to let the country know that we are ready for the election, and all the threats we hear from social media have given us the room to prepare and to remove fear for the electorate in Akwatia that nobody can come here to cause any trouble,” he said.

He added, “We want to assure Ghanaians that the police is ready to handle any type of thing that may come in Akwatia. We are ready with the men. We have the men who can handle this situation, and then our eyes are red for Akwatia and nobody, nobody should think of coming to cause trouble”.

“No political party should mobilise men to come and foment trouble, and nobody should have in mind the intention of snatching a ballot box. We have prepared our men adequately to handle this situation, and that, I informed the political parties as I met them yesterday [Tuesday],” he explained.