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The confusion that has characterised the ongoing limited voter registration exercise in the Juaboso Constituency of the Western Region turned nasty yesterday.

This was when the parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Martha Kwayie Menu, was subjected to severe beatings by some thugs believed to be bodyguards of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who doubles as deputy Minister for Forestry and Natural Resources.

Reports from the Juaboso area indicated that some Ivorians managed to use an unapproved route with the aid of certain NDC activists in the area to enter Ghana, around the Akaatiso border town, to register in the registration exercise.

According to the people, information they gathered indicated that when the Ivorians got to the Akaatiso area, they were being transported in two buses from the border town to a town called Bonso Nkwanta in the Juaboso district by NDC supporters when they were arrested.

The two buses, a Hyundai with registration number GS 3556-10 and Nissan registered GT 6972 N, were reportedly impounded upon reaching the Djato Immigration checkpoint. That was after the presence of the Ivorians had been reported to the area’s immigration officers; but the foreigners were later freed when some NDC activists intervened.

In reaction, the NPP activists in the area vowed not to allow any foreigner to register and decide who should be elected president of Ghana, stressing that the exercise is meant solely for Ghanaians.

Sources had it that yesterday while the NPP parliamentary candidate was on her normal rounds to some of the registration centres, she was attacked by the thugs believed to be bodyguards of the area’s MP.

According to the NPP female candidate, she was attacked by heavily-built men who alighted from a ministerial vehicle which was being driven by the MP, Kwabena Minta Akando, at one of the registration centres in the constituency.

She mentioned that the registration number of the MP’s vehicle was GV 1 – 16.

Madam Martha Kwayie Menu asserted that she and her team were given hefty slaps and beaten with everything the thugs could lay hands on, including plastic chairs of the local Assemblies of God Church which had been offered to the registration officers.

In a radio interview, Martha Kwayie pointed out that the windscreen of her vehicle was also smashed by the bloodthirsty ‘machomen.’

The parliamentary candidate, who was incensed by the attack, later proceeded to the Juaboso Police Station to report the case.

Martha Kwayie said she was given a form for medical attention at the Juaboso Government Hospital pending investigation.

Reacting to the story, Mr Kwabena Minta Akandoh denied all the allegations and described them as palpable false.

“Martha knows I will never on any occasion send anybody to come and beat her,” he stressed.