Thousands of National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters have gathered at the Cantonments Police Station to demand the immediate release of Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Awutu Senya East.
Okunor was detained on Friday by the police, a move that has sparked widespread outrage among NDC members and sympathisers.
The demonstrators, clad in the party’s colours and chanting slogans in support of Okunor, expressed their dissatisfaction with what they described as an unjust and politically motivated detention.
The protest follows a statement by former President John Dramani Mahama, who strongly condemned the police’s decision to detain Okunor. Mahama argued that the detention was ordered by the Inspector General of Police, George Dampare, on the instructions of the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah.
He claimed that this action was an attempt to intimidate the NDC candidate in her campaign against the incumbent Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, in the upcoming elections.
Mahama’s statement emphasized the potential for such actions to raise political tensions and destabilize the nation’s peace and stability ahead of the crucial 2024 elections. He called for the immediate release of Okunor, urging the police and the government to uphold justice and fairness.
The police station was heavily guarded, and the presence of law enforcement officers was noticeable as they sought to maintain order.
The NDC’s call for the release of Okunor has garnered support from various quarters, with many urging the police to act impartially and uphold the principles of justice and democracy.