By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Former Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Kwabena Tahiru Hammond, has criticised the heavy deployment of police personnel at polling centres during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primary, describing it as a waste of state resources.
Mr Hammond argued that heightened security was unnecessary and suggested that some candidates had created avoidable tension, leading to the large police presence.
“I’m outraged. Why deploy 70 police officers to a polling station? We are not using state resources wisely,” he said after casting his ballot in Adansi Asokwa. “In previous internal elections and even national contests, we did not see this level of police deployment.”
He said the scale of security presence was excessive and placed an unnecessary burden on public resources.
The Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohunu, had earlier announced on January 22 that at least 70 police officers would be stationed at each polling centre to ensure security during the exercise.
The NPP presidential primary has since concluded, with five aspirants contesting for the party’s flagbearer position: former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr Bryan Acheampong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
