Tensions escalated at a voter registration center in the Cape Coast North constituency of the Central Region, where gunshots were fired amidst a chaotic confrontation between political party members. The incident, which took place on Thursday morning, has raised significant concerns about security and the integrity of the voter registration process in the area.
According to reports from Adom News’ Kofi Adjei, who was at the scene, the gunfire originated from individuals allegedly affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and acting as guards for Horace Ekow Ewusi, the party’s parliamentary candidate. It is alleged that the shots were fired to prevent members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from registering a group of individuals who had been brought in from Moree, located in the nearby Abura Asebu Kwamankese constituency.
The situation quickly deteriorated when NPP members at the registration center declared their intentions to block these individuals from participating in the ongoing limited registration exercise. This declaration led to a heated exchange between the NPP and NDC supporters present, culminating in the firing of multiple gunshots which, according to witnesses, were intended to disperse the gathering crowd and halt the registration process.
In the midst of the chaos, Godfred Onso Nyameye, the NDC constituency Youth Organizer, reportedly had his phone seized. This incident further inflamed tensions, leading to a more severe confrontation. The situation escalated to the point where Mr. Ewusi was chased from the registration center by a group of people and had to be quickly driven away in his car for his safety.
Despite the severity of the incident, no arrests have been made, leaving the community on edge and raising serious questions about the enforcement of law and order during the voter registration process. The lack of immediate police action has also sparked concerns about the potential for future violence as political tensions continue to simmer.
The voter registration exercise, which is a critical component of the democratic process, has thus been overshadowed by this outbreak of violence, highlighting the underlying political tensions in the Cape Coast North area. Such incidents pose a threat not only to the safety of individuals involved but also to the overall credibility of the electoral process. Local authorities and political leaders are being called upon to address these tensions and ensure that further acts of violence do not disrupt the electoral process.
