Regional News of Monday, 6 July 2020

Source: nkilgifmonline.com

Yagbonwura summons NPP, NDC over voter registration clashes in Damongo

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The King and Overlord of the Gonja Traditional Area, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (I) has summoned the leadership of the various political parties especially the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to his palace in Damongo to discuss matters of security in the Damongo Constituency.

This was disclosed by the Municipal Chief executive (MCE) for the West Gonja Municipal Assembly Mr Saeed Jibril Muhazu aka Jegede.

The West Gonja MCE said the Overlord has expressed much worry about the happenings in town since the beginning of the registration exercise especially in the Damongo township from last Tuesday 30th June, 2020 and has invited the leadership of the various political parties for a discussion on Monday 6th July, 2020.

Mr Muhazu said the registration exercise is not limited to only Damongo Constituency but the name of the constituency is trending across the country for bad reasons.

There has been counter-attacks on sympathizers of the NDC and the NPP with the latest being an alleged chasing of the NDC communication officer in the Damongo Constituency Mr Mumuni Yahaya Kiyoyo by the NPP Nasara Coordinator Mr Nsowura into the Damongo abattoir with a pistol in the morning of Sunday 5th June, 2020.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Damongo Constituency Hon Adam Mutawakilu Garlus has confirmed the attack with the gun by the NPP Nasara Coordinator.

Earlier in the morning of Sunday 5th June, the MP Hon. Mutawakilu Adam in the company of some sympathisers of the NDC in the Constituency escorted a car alleged to have carried people from the Brong Ahafo region into the Constituency for registration exercise but NPP sympathisers led by their regional Chairman Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana alias Professor Kalamonia also storming the Damongo Regional Police command to file a complaint. This raised some tension in the town but the issue has been resolved.

Series of scuffles took place between supporters of the NDC and the NPP at the Kurabaso Junior High School (JHS) registration center in Damongo town on the first and third day of the Electoral Commission (EC) ongoing registration exercise in Damongo.

The first days took place on 30th June, 2020 after a Zambarima man not residing in the area the Kurabaso polling station is situated came to register and NDC agents protested. The incident led to the beating of the Damongo Constituency Nasara Coordinator of the NPP creating tension in the Damongo township leading to patrols of party sympathisers of the two parties from one polling station to the other creating fear and panic among residents.

On the third day of the registration exercise on Thursday 2nd June, 2020, a nephew of the MP for the Damongo Constituency Hon Mutawakilu was hit in the head with a bench by some supporters of the NPP leading to his collapse on the spot and was rushed to the West Gonja Hospital in Damongo.

Eyewitnesses at the registration said a car loaded with passengers were brought to the center for registration which the NDC polling agents prevented them from going through process. This according to the eyewitnesses led to the scuffle that resulted to the beating of the nephew of the MP for Damongo by NPP members.