The National Peace Council has condemned the shooting incident that took place at La-Bawaleshie during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election on Thursday, 31 January 2019.

Speaking with Benjamin Akakpo on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM on Friday, 1 February 2019, the Chairman of the Peace Council, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, said:

“It is the right of citizens to choose who to represent them in parliament, and it is for that reason that in a democratic era, we conduct elections and citizens have the right to go and select the person they want to select and nobody should intimidate them, and nobody should try to resist people from doing what they need to do.

“Therefore, it’s very unfortunate and sad and I must condemn with no reservation what happened yesterday as a result of the by-election. I’m told it didn’t happen in a polling station but in an area, there were skirmishes that led to the firing of arms and about seven people got injured and some got beaten. Whatever the situation, whoever did that, whatever led to that, it is uncalled for, it is not necessary, it’s unfortunate and it must be condemned.”

Rev. Prof. Asante noted that: “It’s about time we grow in our political culture, that we begin to know that we’ve got to live and let others also live and that we do things in a very peaceful manner.”

No death was recorded when a group of macho men believed to be National Security operatives, fired into a crowd of voters at a polling station at La-Bawaleshie during the by-election.

Six persons were injured in the melee.

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) boycotted the election as a result of the shooting.