Leaked audio: I was scared over claims NPP will lose polls – Bugri Naabu

Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has admitted that he was terrified when some senior police officers warned him that George Dampare, the IGP, would probably lead to the NPP’s demise in the general elections of 2024.

According to Naabu, who testified before a Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee formed to look into a rumored plan to depose the IGP, Dampare is not a member of the NPP, which will make things tough for the party in the future elections.

Naabu said that he was so alarmed by the allegations that he even contacted the interior minister to inquire about them. However, the minister did not answer.

“He [Commander Asare] said he wanted to come and see me and let me talk to the president about the current IGP because he is not NPP and that will be difficult for us going into the 2024 elections, and so I told him that I will verify the claims myself before telling the president because I didn’t want to say something that is not true.”

Mr. Naabu said that he had been warned that the IGP would plot to undermine the NPP’s victory in the fiercely contested Assin North by-election; this did happen, and it made him nervous.

“He [Commander Asare] even told me that if we let the IGP goes to Assin North, we would lose the by-election and I was scared. He told me that with ten days to the by-election, with the IGP there, we would end up with nothing, so I started talking to people in the police to verify the claims. I even called the Interior Minister, and he did not pick up my call.”

Background

The leaked recording allegedly revealed an NPP scheme to rig the 2024 elections and remove Dr. George Akuffo Dampare as IGP.

Bugri Naabu affirmed the accuracy of the audio when he spoke before the parliamentary committee charged with looking into the lead tape on Monday, August 28, 2023.

Bugri Naabu acknowledged openly that the contentious talk between himself and three other senior police officers did, in fact, take place inside the walls of his office in Osu, next to the Osu Police Station.

He went on to name the three police officials as Superintendent Gyebi, COP Mensah, and Commander Asare.

According to Bugri Naabu, he paid a person to record the contentious recording that was released on his behalf so that he could provide it to Nana Akufo-Addo, the president.