The governing New Patriotic Party has berated former President John Mahama for his alleged ‘rabble-rousing’ comments following the Ayawaso shooting incident.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, John Boadu said:“The NPP, in the light of this, condemns unreservedly, the comments of former President John Dramani Mahama, who is threatening to unleash mayhem in the country in election 2020. The former president clearly admitted the violent nature of his party and emphatically stated that ‘when it comes to unleashing violence, no one can beat the NDC in unleashing violence’,” the NPP said.
The former leader irked by the casualties recorded in the Ayawaso shooting incident during a by-election days ago said they will meet NPP boot for boot in the 2016 general polls if the governing party does not rein in its vigilante groups.
“We are not going to joke in 2020 and I’m sounding a warning to the NPP – we are going to match them boot for boot. I want to sound a caution that NDC has a revolutionary root and when it comes to unleashing violence no one can beat us to that.”
“It is just that we midwifed this country’s democracy and that is why we must be the first to respect it. That is why we are acting like a party that is docile and respecting the rule of law. But if we believe that the government cannot protect our people and we believe that the government is using its vigilante groups and illegal forces to intimidate and harass and injure our people, then we may have to advise ourselves,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Akufo Addo has stated that the New Patriotic Party will not compete with any other political party in unleashing violence on the citizenry.
In what appears to be a sharp response to earlier comments made by former president John Mahama, the President said “The isolated incident of violence, which occurred in the early stages of the election, was unfortunate and regrettable, and I condemn it in no uncertain terms. A by-election should be a peaceful and happy event, no matter how competitive. The Police is committed to conducting a rapid inquiry into the matter, and I expect all persons who are found culpable, at the end of the process, to face the full rigours of the law”.
“It is important also to state that the New Patriotic Party, the party from which my Government was born, would never dream of competing with any other political party in unleashing violence on the Ghanaian people. Our policy, as espoused by the founding father of our political tradition, is “to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property-owning democracy in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice as the principles to which the Government and laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen”, and that is what my Government is doing” he said in a statement.