Talensi: NDC, NPP clash over choice of final rally venue
The Upper East Regional Police Command has resolved that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would be holding their last rally at the Catholic park in Tongo on Sunday July 5 ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary by-election in the Talensi constituency.
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The NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had clashed with the police over who had the right to organise their last rally at the Catholic park in Tongo ahead of the by-election.
Whilst the NPP insisted they were the first to put in an application on June 30, 2015 for the use of the park, the police said they received the NDC’s application first on June 19, 2015.
According to the Upper East Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Thomas Agbenyo the issue was clear that the NDC would have the right to use the park on Sunday.
However, he said the NPP has been called for a meeting, “if they will like to be in Tongo or any other place, for the security we have provided, it is there, anytime anyone is ready for a rally we are ready to go there.”
“So NDC, they were the first to bring their letter and they will hold their rally there. We have written to the NPP that they should come so that they should get a new place so that we can provide security for them,” he said.
The NPP claimed it secured a permit from the police to use the park at Tongo for its rally on Sunday only for the police to sanction the NDC to hold its rally same day and venue.
The National Youth Organiser of the NPP, Mr Sammy Awuku alleged that the executives of the NDC forged a letter claiming it was the first to submit their application for permission for the use of the venue.
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According to Mr Awuku, the NPP sent their letter to the police dated June 30 and the police assured them that nobody had booked July 5 and the venue of Tongo, the capital of Garu.
“All of a sudden yesterday a letter pops up purportedly from the NDC and dated 19th of July and received on 19th of June. We felt that was being criminal and we told the police our mind, it was inconclusive and today we’ve scheduled a meeting. Because the NDC cannot write a letter dated 19th of July, [hence] a second one written and dated 2nd of July. Ours was dated 30th of June and when we got there they told us that nobody has booked that date and the PRO said it was first come first served. I don’t see why they are going back on their promise.”
But explaining, ASP Agbenyo told Accra based radio station, Starr FM that it was the Upper East Regional Police Commander who received the letter and issued an operation order.
He said on 26th of June the NPP also brought their letter and came to see the Staff Officer about it. The Staff Officer said others have also brought their letter and that whoever comes first would be first served.
According to the PRO, the NPP letter said “they would like to hold their rally at Talensi township, so Talensi township is not specific, it could be, Wigongo, it can be Palongo, it can be Tega, it could be any of the towns because Talensi is the constituency.
He said they saw the NDC letter which was wrongly dated 19th of July but in their letter they were specific on 5th of July in Tongo which was received and stamped by the Regional Commander on 19th June.
“When we were looking for the letter and was not finding it I personally called the NDC that, if they have brought a letter, they should give me a copy of that letter to see and luckily before they brought that letter, we have seen that one Commander received before he went on a 3-day leave to Kumasi.”
“So it is not that we are trying to renege on our promise as far as the IPAC rules are concerned.”