Haruna Iddrisu Acknowledges IGP’s Efforts but Expresses Concerns Over Election Performance

Haruna Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tamale South, has recognized the efforts of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, in maintaining peace during the 2024 elections, while expressing reservations about certain aspects of the police’s handling of the electoral process.

In an interview on TV3’s Ghana Decides, Iddrisu commended the police for their role in ensuring a relatively low crime rate and a peaceful atmosphere ahead of and during the elections. “Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo-Dampare, performed satisfactorily before and during the elections. He has done his best; at least there is peace in the country, and crime is low,” Iddrisu stated.

However, he added that he was not fully satisfied with some aspects of the IGP’s performance, particularly in addressing incidents of violence and intimidation. Iddrisu specifically praised the police for arresting individuals who caused disturbances at polling stations in Nyankpala but expressed concerns about the broader impact of such events.

“Why would anyone go to a polling station with a weapon? Go, vote, and return home peacefully,” he remarked, stressing that fear and intimidation, including gunshots at polling stations, could have discouraged voters from participating. He argued that these incidents compromised the integrity of the elections, making them “neither completely free nor fair.”

Iddrisu emphasized that elections must be conducted without fear or intimidation, pointing to the events in Nyankpala as potentially influencing the outcome. “Elections must be free of fear and intimidation. What happened in Nyankpala, for instance, may have influenced the outcome of the elections,” he concluded.