The National Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a stern warning against what it claims is an imminent plan by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to destroy billboards and posters of the NPP’s presidential candidate, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

In a strongly worded statement released by Salam Mustapha, National Youth Organizer of the NPP, the party alleged that the NDC intends to begin this operation “tonight,” targeting Dr Bawumia’s campaign materials in constituencies across the country.

Salam Mustapha, thus warned that it will respond with equal force if these actions are carried out, declaring its intention to retaliate by tearing down campaign materials belonging to the NDC’s presidential candidate, former President John Dramani Mahama.

“The NDC has made it a habit to destroy the posters and billboards of the NPP, and we have remained quiet for too long. Our patience has run out as the police have shown incapacity to deal with the situation”.
Salam Mustapha, National Youth Organizer, NPP

This declaration marks a significant escalation in tensions as Ghana heads toward its hotly contested 2024 general elections.

The NPP Youth Wing made clear that it will no longer rely on the police for protection of its campaign materials, as they claim law enforcement agencies have failed to address their repeated complaints about similar incidents in the past.

Call to Party Structures Across Constituencies

The National Organizer of the ruling party, Salam Mustapha activated all NPP systems at the constituency and regional levels in the release, urging vigilance among party members and executives.

He underscored the NPP’s preparedness to take direct action if the alleged destruction of their materials begins, signalling a readiness to defend their candidate’s visibility on the campaign trail at all costs.

In his directives, Salam Mustapha strongly asserted that in the unlikeliest situation if the NDC carries out its alleged plan, the NPP will retaliate by shredding former President Mahama’s posters and billboards in return.

“We will nib this buffoonery ourselves by exacting proportional counter-response,” Salam Mustapha asserted.

The statement reflects frustration with what the NPP sees as a pattern of provocation from their main political rivals and a lack of adequate response from security agencies tasked with maintaining electoral order.

Direct Message to Law Enforcement

The NPP Youth Wing’s statement took a notably defiant tone toward Ghana’s police service, criticizing the force for what it describes as a lack of interest and action in addressing the destruction of NPP campaign materials.

The statement implied that the party no longer sees the police as a neutral or reliable intermediary in the dispute and will instead take matters into its own hands.

“To the police service across the country, since you are not interested in this matter, we will not come to you to report anything,” the statement said, clearly signalling a shift toward self-policing by the party.

This aggressive posture from the NPP Youth Wing underscores the rising political tensions in the lead-up to the December 7, 2024, elections.

With just months to go before Ghanaians head to the polls, the battle between the NPP and the NDC appears to be intensifying in policy debates rallies and physical space, where both parties are vying for visibility and dominance.

The decision by the NPP Youth Wing to respond forcefully to any vandalism of their campaign materials could fuel further clashes between supporters of the two dominant political parties.

Ghana has long been considered one of the most stable democracies in Africa, but election periods often bring heightened tensions and isolated incidents of violence, particularly between party loyalists, and hence the message from the ruling party’s youth wing is not surprising.