The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi South, Mr Collins Dauda, was involved in disturbances in the ongoing limited registration exercise.
The party said Mr Dauda has neither committed any crime nor was he anywhere close to the disturbances when they occurred, and accused the police of publishing false news about the MP leading to his arrest.
"The NDC condemns in no uncertain terms the unprofessional haste of the Ghana Police Service to publish the so-called arrest of the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, and create the impression as though he has committed a crime," a statement issued in Accra and signed by the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, has said.
The police said it arrested Mr Dauda for his alleged involvement in some disturbances at a Voter Registration Centre at Kukuom in the Asunafo South constituency.
"We wish to place on record that, at no point was the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda, present at the Kukuom registration centre on Saturday, 11th May, 2024. Contrary to the claim by the Ghana Police Service, Collins Dauda was busily monitoring the ongoing registration exercise in his Constituency, Asutifi South, and was nowhere near the incident at Kukuom, which is located in the Asunafo South constituency," the statement said.
The statement also said many NDC supporters who were hospitalised after being brutalised by the NPP thugs, have since lodged official complaints with the Kukuom Police.
"The National Democratic Congress reiterates our commitment to peace in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. We are a law-abiding political party committed to respecting the laws of the country. Our Parliamentary Candidates, agents and supporters throughout the country have so far comported themselves in the ongoing exercise, even in the face of extreme provocation and in some cases, violent attacks," it said.
"We are however concerned by the widespread violent incidents across the country in which NDC supporters have been at the receiving end of unprovoked brutalities, intimidation and harassments from the ruling New Patriotic Party, as happened in Adugyama in the Ahafo-ano South East Constituency in the Ashanti region, few days ago," it stated.
"We wish to remind the Ghana Police Service of their responsibility to protect all stakeholders in the ongoing voter registration exercise. The Ghana Police must display professionalism and impartiality in maintaining law and order, and be fair to all actors in the political space."
