A political science lecturer at the Methodist University, Osei Bonsu
Owusu, has described as unfortunate, a comment by former President John
Mahama that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will match
the governing New Patriotic Party boot-for-boot with violence in the
2020 polls.
According to Mr Owsusu, there was no need
for Mr Mahama to have incited supporters of the NDC against the NPP
since that can result in bloodshed.
While addressing NDC delegates in the Adaklu
Constituency of the Volta Region on Thursday, 31 January 2019, Mr
Mahama said the NDC will resort to violence in defending itself if the
government attempts to intimidate and harass NDC supporters during the
2020 polls.
The former president’s comment followed a
shooting incident at the La-Bawaleshie JHS polling station in the course
of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election on the same day.
The NDC accused the NPP of being behind the shooting.
Mr Mahama said: “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 are mindful of this country’s
democracy and that is why we must be the first to respect it. That is
why we are acting as 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: “We respect the Constitution of
this country and the NDC is a democratic party and that’s why we abide
by the rules of the Constitution. But the same Constitution says that
Ghanaians should resist anybody who attempts to subvert the
Constitution. When you go rampaging with forces and intimidating people
when they should come out and vote, you are subverting the Constitution.
And we have a right to resist you.”
Speaking in an interview with Accra News’
Nana Ama Agaryko, however, Mr Owusu told Accra100.5FM’s mid-day news on
Friday, 1 February 2019 that: “This is an unfortunate statement coming
from the former president. As a former president, he should have been
measured in his utterances. I ask: Will his children join the
boot-for-boot fight?”
“Violence is not something that anybody or
organisation will want to be associated with, and that is why his
comment dents the NDC’s image.”
According to Mr Owusu, “Every by-election
we have seen in the Fourth Republic has seen some of these incidents we
witnessed yesterday. Usually, the police step in, but nothing is done to
the culprits.
“To end this development, the police must
arrest a culprit and make him or her a scapegoat and that will deter
others from doing it.”