John Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama who once said his party the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a revolutionary root and when it comes to unleashing of violence on Ghanaians no one can beat the NDC, has turned round to poke the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) by tagging them as a violence party which they take it as normal practice when it comes to elections.
According to the former President, the culture of electoral violence in the NPP is fast becoming a normal occurrence under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
The former President made these claims on his Facebook page, following pockets of violence recorded during the NPP’s special delegates conference on Saturday, where he referred to the violent events of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in 2019 and the alleged murder of eight citizens in 2020 general elections.
In a post on his Facebook page, the former President said’’ It would appear that violence has become the new normal for the NPP in any electoral contest they are involved in’’.
He claimed ‘’Acts of violence during what should be a peaceful civic exercise must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians. Such brutal acts have no place in modern society, especially during an internal contest among persons who belong to the same party and have known each other for many years. This is detrimental to democracy’’.
‘’The barbarity of Ayawaso West Wuogon in 2019 and the murder of eight innocent Ghanaians during the 2020 elections will forever be a blot on the legacy of President Akufo-Addo and VP Mahamudu Bawumia’’ he underscored.
Strangely, Mahama failed to mention the brutal violence that rocked his party’s youth and women congress in Cape Coast university last year where the police made arrest of over15 hooligans after declaring them wanted.
Property of the University as well as vehicles were destroyed when supporters of the incumbent youth organiser, George Opare Addo popularly called Pablo and his main challenger, Brogya Genfi aka Armani who Mahama openly supported engaged in brutal free for all fight amidst the open display of weapons with the police looking on helpless.
The matter is still under police investigation.
-BY Daniel Bampoe