Calm has returned to Buipe in the Central Gonja District of Northern Region after
a standoff between the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic
Congress.
The office of the Electoral Commission was closed down on Thursday when
police and military could not control a crowd incident of the two political parties
disagreeing over a group of people who had come from Damongo in the West
Gonja District to transfer their votes in the Yapie-Kusawgu constituency.
According to the representative of NPP, Adam Muhammed Hafiz, the people
were sponsored by the Deputy Minister of Energy, John Jinapor ,who is one of
the parliamentary aspirants in the constituency.
He said his party would resist any attempt by the people to transfer their votes
in the area because none of them could show any prove that they have ever
resided in the constituency.
The representative of the NDC, Sawura Saaka Adam, countered the accusation
saying that the people hailed from the area and wanted to transfer their votes
for the December 2016 general election as stipulated by law.
The misunderstanding at the EC office compelled the District Election Officer,
Gariba Djampana Jacob, to call security personal to restore calm at the scene.
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He said the efforts of the security could not deter the misunderstanding and he
decided to suspend the exercise later at 3.30pm on Thursday.
When TV3 got there on Friday morning transfer of votes was going on smoothly
and replacement of lost voters ID was also in earnest.
Meanwhile, the paramount Chief of Buipe Traditional area, Abdulai Jinapor, met
with the two parties to calm them down and appealed to those who had come
to transfer their votes to return to Damongo.
He called for inter-party meetings with him every fortnight and urged political
parties to ensure peace and tolerance in the 2016 election.
At the time 3news.com left Buipe, 29 people successfully transfer their votes
and replacement of lost identity cards.
