The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mustapha Salam, says the party will take steps to protect its ballots during the 2028 general elections.

He said the NPP would train its members and deploy what he described as “proper protection” measures at polling stations to prevent a repeat of incidents the party believes occurred during the 2024 elections.

Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, September 1, Mr Salam said the party would not rely entirely on the Police Service to protect its votes.

“I’m saying that we will protect our ballots. That we will,” he said.

Mr Salam accused the Police of failing to act on incidents the NPP believes occurred during the 2024 elections.

“I’m saying that we will protect our ballot. That we will. Police, you know, sat and they saw all the things that happened in 2024. They did nothing about it. That is why we will not put our trust in the Police Service,” he said.

He stressed, however, that the party’s approach would be democratic and would not involve violence or vigilante groups.

“Protection is allowed. Yes. And we are also going to do everything democratic to ensure that we are able to protect our ballots. The NPP doesn’t believe in violence. We don’t,” he said.

Mr Salam said the party would train its members to ensure that its votes were properly protected and electoral procedures followed.

“We will train our people, okay? We will stand firm, and we will insist that it should be done in the proper manner. And that we give absolute support and protection. No, not commando things, but proper protection of our votes,” he added.

He rejected suggestions that the NPP would rely on vigilante groups during the 2028 elections, saying the party’s priority was to rebuild and rebrand itself ahead of the polls.

Mr Salam expressed confidence that the NPP could recapture power in 2028 if it successfully reorganised the party and prepared its members for the elections.

“Once we’re able to rebuild our party, rebrand it, and we are sure that we’re going to recapture power, we know that party people would go all the way out to ensure that what we saw in 2024 will not repeat itself,” he added.