NPP condemns Mahama’s attempt to ‘politicise’ security forces

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned former president John Mahama for inciting the public against the country’s security forces ahead of the December 7 elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2020, the NPP MP for Mpraeso Constituency in the Eastern Region, Seth Kwame Acheampong, said Mahama’s behaviour is despicable.

“We wish to draw attention to some despicable unpresidential remarks made by candidate John Dramani Mahama over the weekend about our security officials. Shocking for a former Commander of the Ghana Armed Forces to tell dangerous lies about the security of the nation,” he said.

He added: “We strongly condemn these despicable remarks by candidate Mahama and the recent attempts by the NDC to politicize our security forces. His statements are totally false and unfounded and he ought to be ashamed of himself.”

According to the NPP, Mr Mahama has seen the signs on the wall that he will lose massively and he is therefore using intimidating tactics to prevent Ghanaians from going out to vote.

“John Mahama has been using his campaign rallies not so much to rally support for his message as he has no message. Increasingly, he is sounding more and more as a candidate who has already accepted defeat. He has been on the ground and he knows very well that he is not on the ground.

“His message for change is not trusted by the public. His negative campaign against Akufo-Addo and the NPP is not getting him anywhere and it is because the people know better; they feel better and they know the difference between Nana and Mahama.

“John Mahama has spent his campaign time to vilify the Electoral Commission. Meanwhile, 68% of Ghanaians, including NDC supporters, are happy with the work that Jean Mensa and the EC are doing,” he noted.

Acheampong further noted that Mahama is only preparing the grounds to reject the results of the polls.

He continued: “John Mahama’s dirty campaign against Akufo-Addo is not working because 70% of Ghanaians, including NDC supporters, approve of the work that Nana Akufo-Addo is doing as President. The truth is hurting Candidate Mahama.

“So, it seems the only thing left for Candidate Mahama to do is to prepare the ground for a rejection of the December 7, 2020, general election results.”

He, therefore, assured the public that “December 7, 2020, will be peaceful. Every election since 1992 has been more peaceful than the previous one. This is in spite of the occasional skirmishes we see in by-elections like Atiwa, Akwatia, Chereponi, Talensi and more recently Ayawaso West Wuogon. 2020 will be no exception. It shall be well.”

A win for NPP

“President Akufo-Addo and the NPP are winning simply because the Ghanaian people appreciate the remarkable efforts that this government has made and continues to make to improve the lives of ordinary Ghanaians up and down the country. Equally, importantly, the people know that the alternative is the NDC under John Mahama – the worst president ever in the Fourth Republic.

“The NPP is winning for sure. NDC knows it. But, that feeling on the ground means nothing if the people do not come out in their numbers to vote on December 7. The biggest security for the 2020 general elections is for you the voters to come out massively to vote for Akufo-Addo and the NPP. Give John Mahama a clear, decisive and incontestable defeat. Just like he received a 'non-riggable' margin of defeat in 2016, we must even do better and make sure that he will have no excuse to attempt to cause trouble after December 7, 2020. Let us shut him up with the thumb.

“The impartiality of our police and security forces is essential to the success of our democracy and maintaining the peace. The recent comments by Mr Mahama are an insult to proud men and women of our security forces, who have dedicated themselves to serving their communities honourably and without partisanship.

“This is a blatant attempt by the Mahama campaign to distract voters from the fact that they have nothing to offer the Ghanaian people and so they have resorted to trying to undermine the integrity of our elections,” he added.