At least six giant billboards belonging to the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Okaikwei North, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, have been destroyed by unknown persons.
The billboards, which were erected at strategic locations including Kata Hostel, Nii Boye Town, and Achimota, were defaced on March 1, 2024, causing significant damage amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis.
According to reports from the constituency in the Greater Accra region, the destruction appears to be targeted and deliberate, with no apparent reasons behind the vandalism.
Ruling NPP members have pointed fingers at suspected foul play instigated by members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly implicating the incumbent NDC MP Theresa Awuni.
Speaking on behalf of the NPP constituency in Okaikwei North, Kwabena Amoako, the constituency organiser, condemned the incident, emphasising that it has been reported to the police for investigation. Amoako expressed suspicion that NDC members were behind the destruction, suggesting a ploy to tarnish the image of the NPP parliamentary candidate by portraying her as a violent individual.
“Instead of focusing on how to do their campaign, they try to attack her during her events. They always want to provoke her to create the impression that she is violent. We hope the security agencies will take this issue up to prevent it from escalating,” Amoako stated.
Confirming the incident, the police have assured that investigations are underway. However, the NDC office in the constituency has yet to respond to queries regarding the matter.
The Okaikwei North constituency has garnered attention as one of the hotly contested areas ahead of the upcoming elections. Despite being considered a safe seat for the ruling NPP, the constituency witnessed a surprising victory for the opposition NDC in the December 2020 elections, with growing discontent among party supporters against the former MP, Fuseini Issah.
As tensions escalate in the run-up to the 2024 elections, the destruction of the NPP billboards underscores the intensifying political competition in Ghana’s electoral landscape, raising concerns about potential acts of sabotage and violence.
