The main opposition National Democratic Congress says per its “credible intelligence,” the Kumasi residence of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier-General Michael Opoku, “is currently the storage facility for weapons, illegally-printed ballot papers, military apparel and other election materials, which the NPP intends to use to execute this dastardly and subversive agenda.”

At a press conference on Tuesday, 19 November 2024, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, said: “In Brigadier-General Opoku, we have an officer with a notorious record unbecoming of the position he holds,” adding: “This devious character” who, “carries the mayhem and brutality he supervised at AWW as a badge of dishonour” has “no place in the current environment where Ghanaians are calling for violence-free elections.”

In the party’s view, “Given his history, we call for his immediate removal from his position as GOC of the Central Command,” Mr Gyamfi demanded, noting: “A miscreant like him should not be allowed anywhere near the security architecture for the impending 2024 general elections.”

The NDC, Mr Gyamfi said, “wishes to serve notice to Brigadier-General Michael Opoku and his collaborators in the New Patriotic Party that we have them under our radar and will continue to monitor them with eagle eyes. This time around, he and his ilk shall not succeed. Violence cannot and will not win the NPP this year’s election.”

The NDC acknowledged and commended “personnel in our security agencies who work tirelessly to protect our dear nation and are determined to protect the votes of suffering Ghanaians,” but noted: “Sadly, unlike the many professional and noble men and women in Ghana’s security agencies, Brigadier-General Opoku has turned himself into a rabid NPP functionary who openly mobilizes funds from businessmen for the New Patriotic Party.”

Mr Gyamfi said: “Having relocated his family to the United Kingdom, Brigadier-General Opoku has vowed to do all it takes to carry out this shady election-rigging plot of the NPP in exchange for the position Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the unlikely event that the NPP wins the 2024 elections.”

“In his current position, Brigadier-General Opoku has been mandated by President Akufo-Addo to take charge of a well-crafted scheme that has been designed by the New Patriotic Party to rig the upcoming election, particularly in the Ashanti region, through ballot stuffing, swapping of ballot boxes, swapping of pink sheets, and other clandestine activities starting with the special voting exercise scheduled for December 2nd,” Mr Gyamfi noted.

The party says Brig-Gen Opoku was inducted into his current position in July so he can carry out the “calculated” rigging plot.

“The name of this man must ring a bell to Ghanaians as he is the person who masterminded the mayhem and brutalities inflicted on innocent Ghanaians during the infamous Ayawaso West Wugon bye-elections on January 31, 2019,” Mr Gyamfi recalled, adding: “As Director of Operations at the National Security Secretariat, Colonel Michael Kwadwo Opoku, as he was then known, commandeered and unleashed NPP thugs, including 'Double' to attack innocent civilians. You will recall, that many innocent Ghanaians were shot, brutalised and maimed. Not even the sitting Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Hon. Samuel Nartey George was spared by the NPP thugs acting under the guise of National Security.”

He added that when Col Michael Opoku, as he was then known, appeared before the Emile Short Commission after the incident, “admitted that the masked NPP bandits who attacked and maimed innocent civilians did so under his express instructions. “

“It is instructive to note, that the Short Commission placed ultimate liability on this military officer who is the subject of this press conference. The Commission recommended that he be reprimanded ‘for being ultimately responsible for the outcome of the SWAT operation at the La Bawaleshie School Polling Station’,” noting “sadly but unsurprisingly,” that “President Akufo Addo under whose leadership the said atrocities were committed by Colonel Opoku and his bandits, rejected the findings of the Commission in his infamous White Paper. To add insult to injury, he has now been promoted to the high rank of Brigadier-General and rewarded with the position of General Officer Commanding of the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces. This is what has further emboldened him to champion yet another election rigging scheme.”