Mr. Adjei is the primary opponent of the current Member of Parliament, George Kwame Aboagye, in the primaries.
The two were detained by Akyem Oda Divisional Police Commander, ACP Rev. Dr. Adane-Ameyaw, a few days after holding a news conference to convey their discontent with the change in polling location.
In an interview with the media, the queen mother accused the police commander and the MP of being responsible for the location change.
Mr. Adjei, who visited the police station to secure bail for the queen mother, was apprehended and held in custody. Both individuals experienced a spike in their blood pressure while detained and were subsequently transported to the hospital. They reported instances of verbal abuse and being handcuffed to hospital beds, resulting in injuries to the queen mother’s wrist.
The specific charges against them remain unclear, though sources from the Divisional Police Command suggest they were eventually released with instructions to return to the station. Certain residents and delegates of Asene Manso Akroso, displeased with the relocation of the primaries, insinuate that the arrests were orchestrated to intimidate them.
In response, they’ve threatened to back Alex Owusu Adjei as an independent candidate in the upcoming general elections should he fail to secure the primaries. Furthermore, some NPP supporters in the constituency are considering supporting Alex Owusu Adjei as an independent candidate if the party leadership does not reconsider the change in voting venue.
These supporters argue that the Akroso Presby School, the traditional election site, has been used peacefully in previous elections, and they suspect the new venue at Akim Batabi, promoted by the regional elections committee, is biased toward the incumbent MP. Clad in red and black attire, these supporters have taken to the streets to protest the change in venue, expressing readiness to advocate for Alex Owusu Adjei’s independent candidacy if party executives do not reverse their decision.
“We have seen on the platform that the venue has changed to Batabi. Our problem is that the venue is close to the MP’s house. We believe that the MP has an interest, which is why the venue has changed. We don’t want intimidation; it is becoming too much. The executives have been campaigning for the incumbent. We cannot go there to cast our votes; we will let Alex Owusu Agyei contest as an independent candidate,” they warned.
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