NPP Royal Ladies clash with NDC supporters in Suhum
About 20 irate youth believed to be supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Suhum clashed with some women who are said to be members of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP’s) Royal Ladies last Tuesday evening.
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The NPP ladies, who numbered more than 15, were on a house-to-house campaign about 8 p.m. when the irate supporters of the NDC who were in a party vehicle stopped near them, accused them of speaking ill against their parliamentary candidate, Margaret Ansei, alias Magoo, and assaulted them.
The police
According to the Eastern Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, the NPP ladies had embarked on a campaign in Suhum when some men approached them and accused them of insulting the NDC hierarchy, a development that generated some exchanges.
He said the women then ran to the Suhum Chief's palace to save their lives, but the angry men chased them and assaulted them there.
He said the Suhum Police Command was investigating the matter after some of the ladies had reported the case of assault.
The victims
A young man who was attacked at the palace told the Daily Graphic that he was at the palace observing the launch of the Odwira Festival when some NPP ladies rushed there.
The young man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said shortly after the women had rushed to the palace, a vehicle with Magoo's pictures on it pulled up at the palace and the occupants came out to brutalise the women.
In the process, he said, he was injured after something had hit his head.
Narrating how the events unfolded, a member of the NPP Royal Ladies, Ms Patience Amponsah, said they were going round to campaign for the NPP's parliamentary candidate for Suhum, Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah, and the flag bearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
"When we finished and we were returning home, we met about 20 young men who accused us of painting their candidate, Magoo, as a prostitute and corrupt, but we denied the accusation.
"But they tried to use force to seize our phones and then started beating us. Then they also tried to push us into their vehicle, but we freed ourselves and ran to the chief's palace to save ourselves,” she said.
According to Ms Amponsah, the irate men followed them to the palace and caused chaos there, but the chief sent his men to stop them.
Suhum Chief
According to the Chief of Suhum, Osabarimma Kofi Ayeh, he was chairing a meeting in his palace last Tuesday evening when he suddenly heard some noise on the compound.
He expressed shock at the fact that just a few hours before the incidence he and his traditional elders had held an inter-party dialogue with all the political parties and the security agencies towards the maintenance of peace in the area, that chaotic incident occurred.