The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Council of Elders, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, has cautioned presidential flagbearer hopefuls against engaging private security groups or so-called “machomen” during the party’s presidential primary scheduled for Saturday.
He said security arrangements for the election would be solely handled by the Ghana Police Service, which has been mandated to provide adequate protection at all polling stations nationwide.
“There is no need for any private security arrangements. If any group has engaged private security, they must dismantle them immediately,” he stated.
Mr Owusu-Agyeman gave the caution at the signing of the party’s peace pact held last Thursday in Accra, an initiative by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) aimed at ensuring a peaceful and orderly flagbearer election.
Conduct of aspirants
Mr Owusu-Agyeman said the peace, stability and unity of the party largely depended on the conduct of the aspirants and their supporters.
He urged all contestants to repose confidence in the PEC and state institutions, particularly the Ghana Police Service, stressing that the use of private security was unnecessary and could undermine the credibility of the process.
He further warned individuals or groups planning to cause unrest to disband immediately, reminding them that the NPP had a long history of conducting peaceful internal elections since 1992.
Mr Owusu-Agyeman also advised aspirants to refrain from making unsubstantiated allegations against the party or the PEC after the polls, noting that such actions could weaken internal cohesion and erode trust within the party.
He stressed that leadership required responsibility, restraint and commitment to the collective interest of the party, adding that the peace pact and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the aspirants were binding commitments rather than mere formalities.
Aspirants and ceremony
The aspirants who signed the peace pact are former Vice-President and 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former Assin Central Member of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; Abetifi MP and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong; Bosomtwe MP and former Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; and former NPP General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
The ceremony was attended by several party leaders and state officials, including the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin; the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno; a former Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare, and other senior party figures.
