A series of covert recordings obtained by GhanaWeb reveal details of a scheme by some senior members of the government's New Patriotic Party and the Ghana Police Service to remove Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the incumbent inspector general of police, before the 2024 elections.

The group, who were captured in a secret meeting, came to the conclusion that Dampare's leadership style and purported membership in the opposition National Democratic Congress would make the NPP's "Breaking the 8" goal difficult.

“Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us. It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me but that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all.

“I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think they are our men get I (it is ok)t… Because we need to break this 8. That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ” one of the senior officers told the senior NPP members who is believed to be a former regional chairman of the party and now a traditional ruler.

The senior police official continued by acknowledging that sometimes elections call for dirty tricks to win, but does not mind losing as long as a pro-NPP IGP is placed.

“This IGP is not correct, he won’t help us. Alhaji you have done politics, you know elections is not… sometimes elections mafia work is inside,” he stated to which the party guru concurred saying “not just sometimes, mafia work is inside. As for elections mafia work is involved.”

The senior officer expressed vehement criticism of Dr. Dampare's security plan, pointing out how it was biased against the NPP and using the recent by-election in Assin North as evidence.

He said that Dr. Dampare is an NDC member who had advancements under NDC administrations and worked as the late President John Evans Atta Mills' aide-de-camp.

“Alhaji whatever we need to do to get somebody else to supervise these elections (2024) we need to do. Because as we speak, this IGP is not fine with the military, he is fighting with the army. You find out, if any army officer is your friend, you call him and ask him that how do you see this IGP. He has been arresting military cars; commanders’ cars,” he said.

He further disclosed that the vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and a candidate for the NPP's presidential nomination, was not in favor of Dr. Dampare being the IGP and that the two had a tense relationship.

"If you find out yourself, he is not in good terms with Dr Bawumia… find out if you are close to Dr Bawumia because he knows that Dr Bawumia did not recommend him as IGP… Dr Bawumia knows that if we take him to elections we’ll have difficulties,” he stated.

The concerned senior party member expressed worry over the lack of awareness among leading members of the party and the government regarding the matter. However, they were informed by a senior officer that previous attempts to bring attention to the issue had been unsuccessful.

Additionally, it was revealed that Dr. Dampare has garnered support from close relatives of the president, including his executive secretary, Nana Asante Bediatuo, and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.

The party official, taken aback by this information, emphasized the significance of having a favorable security service in order to win elections, stating that "without them, we can't do anything."

Sources within the security sector, as reported by GhanaWeb, disclosed that the secret recordings, including videos that touch on critical national security matters, have been brought to the attention of those in power.

“There are even video recordings but due to national security issues they are being withheld,” the source disclosed.

Other parts of the video detail the cabal's plans to further their goals through a variety of channels, including spiritual ones.

At one occasion, the former NPP party chairman received a call that he identified to his guests as coming from the president.