Eric Opoku, Member of Parliament for Asunafo South and a representative of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is calling on the majority caucus in parliament to support the demand for investigations into an alleged plot to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, from office.
The alleged plot came to light on Tuesday, July 11, when a secret audio recording surfaced, revealing purported discussions among individuals suspected to be high-ranking officials of the governing party and a top member of the Ghana Police Service. The conversations centered around plans to replace the IGP ahead of the 2024 elections, leading to concerns of possible election rigging.
Eric Opoku, emphasizing the significance of national security, urged all members of parliament to collectively endorse a probe into the matter. Despite the government’s denial of any plot to replace the IGP and manipulate the election, Opoku argued that the investigations are crucial to uncovering the truth and identifying those involved. He questioned the government’s defensiveness, stating, “If you are not behind it, why are you worried?”
Opoku’s stance aligns with the Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, who has urged the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, to investigate the alleged plot. However, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, expressed reservations due to the unverified authenticity of the audio recording. He contended that without concrete evidence, the NDC cannot accuse the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of attempting to rig the election.
The issue remains a subject of intense debate within parliament, as the call for investigations seeks to shed light on the alleged plot and uphold transparency in Ghana’s electoral process.
In response to Mr Afenyo-Markin, Mr Opoku retorted, “Assist us, agree that we investigate this matter; it’s just investigations and you want to impede it.”
“What are you people hiding? Mr Speaker, we just want investigations. They should agree that we investigate this matter to discover those involved,” he reiterated.