NPP Denmark condemns Mahama’s incendiary remarks and violence at Wougon by-elections

The Ayawaso West Wougon by-election did not pass without major cause for concern for all well-meaning Ghanaians. As witnesses to the incidence of isolated violence which occurred during the election, unfortunate and regrettable as this was, we join other well-meaning Ghanaians to condemn it.

We call on the security agencies to conduct thorough investigations to unravel the circumstances which led to such an unfortunate incident to forestall any future occurrence. It is an undeniable fact that our democracy has evolved and matured over time and so any incidence such as was witnessed in the by-election should not be countenanced. However, during the ensuing chaos, we note with equal concern the conduct of certain persons within the N.D.C to foment trouble before, during and after the elections.

It is worthy to note that, the NDC knowing they couldn’t win on the economy and other issues that matter to Ghanaians they deliberately resorted to violent tactics to provoke the N.P.P in their stronghold into responding just to tag the party and by extension the government as violent. Fortunately, they failed and will always fail.

The NDC is clearly in a militant mode. Evidence from this and more clearly shows they don’t intend to engage in reasoned and issues-based debates in the run-up to 2020 elections. The deliberate twisting of facts, provocation and outright misinformation by its leaders like Sammy Gyamfi, Peter Boamah-Otokunor and Opare Addo in their submissions on radio/TV give credence to this. Even worse is the former president H.E. John Mahama who in direct response to the happenings in AWW made the worst ever incendiary remarks yet in Ghana, warning among other things that the N.D.C was the progeny of violent parents and ancestors and was therefore prepared to use her genetically inherited violent genes to unleash anarchy and mayhem in the 2020 elections when provoked.

Any peace-loving Ghanaian should be worried by this very distasteful, needless and reckless pronouncements. As a branch of the N.P.P in the diaspora, we are appalled by the former president’s lack of candour and statesmanship. We understand H.E John Mahama is in a battle for his life to save his bruised ego and whatever little of a political career is left after his humiliating defeat at the polls in 2016 as he seeks to become the N.D.C flag bearer. We are therefore not surprised at his desperation and his resort to using intemperate and inflammatory language.

H.E. John Mahama ought to know that a flag bearer contest is not won through inciting violence neither is it won on the ignominious record of a political party’s violent past as he avers but rather, he of all persons should know that it is won on principles and virtuous ideals that a candidate espouses to convince delegates who are the kingmakers. We are compelled to ask whether a man’s desperate quest for power should be attained at all cost? How and whom does he expect to govern when through his reckless pronouncements he throws Ghana into an inferno of political instability? In any case, he should tell Ghanaians which of his numerous children he contemplates to be the first to wear and lace the boots for his warmongering match? Have Ghanaians not seen his children ride in expensive yachts and partying in expensive hotels in Dubai? Let it go to the former president that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Ghanaians equally want peace and tranquillity for themselves just as he is providing for his family abroad. The era where politicians would use the ordinary Ghanaians as cannon fodder for their parochial aims is over. The Ghanaian people are busily engaged in a nation building exercise under HE Nana Addo to restore the economy he destroyed to respectable commanding heights and have no idle time to spare nor participate in his phantom war proclamations.

As a party, the optics and architecture surrounding the conduct of the N.D.C in the byelection and the former president’s remarks come as no coincidence. Coming events, they say cast their shadows. We have every cause to be believe that this by-election was a dry run for the N.D.C to test run their diabolical schemes as they prepare for the 2020 elections. The distant rumbling of thunder it is said is an indication of rain to come. We state for the record that as a government in power that is doing so well and gaining respect from the international community as well as having recently helped restore peace in Dagbon to the admiration of all Ghanaians, we have no motive to unleash violence as we prepare to account on our stewardship to the good people of Ghana come 2020.

Just as the verdict of AWW speaks for itself, the Ghanaian people shall retain the N.P. P and usher H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa into his second and final term of office on the strength of her record and not through violence or intimidation. We remind H.E John Mahama and his N.D.C that if the NPP had adopted the boot for boot doctrine whilst in opposition, Ghana would have perhaps gone in flames long ago given the NDC’s recent history of visiting violence on innocent NPP supporters. The Chereponi, Atiwa, Talensi, LMVC incidents readily come to mind.

We, therefore, call on the national peace council, all religious bodies, political parties, civil society organizations, and the international community to condemn the actions of the former president and his agent provocateurs in their attempt to foment a revolution in Ghana. In this same regard, we call on the security agencies not to take his incendiary remarks lightly and be on high alert. Furtherance to this, we recommend to the government to reconsider his standing and begin to treat him as an opposition leader by withdrawing the courtesies accorded him as a former president.

It is obvious that the framers of the constitution did not anticipate a situation where a former president could turn rogue. A one-term president attempting to stage a comeback is novel. It is therefore necessary to set the precedence by way of fashioning out the conduct expected of a rejected former president seeking another bite at the presidency. Particularly so in circumstances like these where the taxpayer pays the bills for a former president turned into rogue and rebel combined. Ladies and Gentlemen, we think it is about time. We nonetheless commend the government of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo for exhibiting tolerance and maturity in the face of such reckless pronouncements and provocations that threaten the peace and stability of our country. As a branch of the party in the diaspora, we have never been prouder to be called Ghanaians than now.

Long Live our democracy, Long live Ghana.