No individual has the power to determine outcome of elections – IGP

According to the leaked recording, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, no one has the authority to choose the results of elections.

Speaking before the Parliamentary Committee looking into a “leaked IGP tape” to remove him from office, he said elections involve a number of stakeholders, each of whom has a significant role to play. As a result, no one group is superior to the others or holds sole authority over the outcome of elections, he said.

“Honourable Chair, the most important thing is this, election involves so many stakeholders and each one has its role and the police also has its role.”

“And the election is a simple matter where each stakeholder plays its role and collectively we end up ensuring that it is over and the people then decide who becomes the leader.”

“So no entity or institution has some supremacy in terms of its role in ensuring that elections are successful, as far as I’m concerned, all the stakeholders have to play their role and because each role is unique, you cannot even be compelled to say which one is on top and which one is not,” he explained.

“That is somebody’s opinion about me and I cannot question somebody’s opinion.”

He added that the assumption that the strength of his personality and what he stands for could decide the aftermath of elections is just someone’s opinion and he cannot influence that.

However, he will continue to be diligent and honest with his job and professionally work as a team with his commanders.

‘Opinions are all over the place and as far as I’m concerned, I’ll continue to do my work, work in unity with my commanders across the country and do our job how it should be done, be it elections or any other matter,” he said.

A recording that was leaked a few months ago focused on a scheme to remove the IGP.

The conversation on the recording was between former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, who recorded the tape, and COP George Alex Mensa, Director General of Operations for the Ghana Police Service.

According to the audio that was leaked, COP Mensah told Bugri Naabu that the NPP should give up on winning the upcoming general elections if the current IGP is allowed to stay in office.

In order to persuade the politician, Commissioner Mensah emphasized that he would offer security that was at least as strict as that supplied by the IGP during the recent Assin North by-election, which may thwart any attempt by the NPP to rig the 2024 polls in its favor.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com