Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Communications Director
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on former President John Dramani Mahama to render an unqualified apology to the Ghanaian populace for wasting their time with his frivolous presidential election petition in 2020.
A statement released by the party’s Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, said following the mind-boggling revelations and confession by Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Mahama must also apologise to the Judiciary for the unwarranted disparaging comments he made about the Supreme Court following the dismissal of his petition.
“In a leaked audio recording, the NDC General Secretary, who was addressing some Party executives, stated emphatically that even though they knew that their Party (NDC) had lost the 2020 General Election on fair grounds and therefore did not have any cause of action, they still went ahead to deceive their supporters and lie to the Ghanaian people that the election was rigged, and petitioned the Supreme Court under false pretences,” portions of the statement read.
“The NDC, led by former President John Mahama, vigorously embarked on a campaign of hate against the Judiciary, scandalizing and attacking the very integrity of the Justices, and calling them UNANIMOUS FC, simply because they judged rightly that his petition lacked merit. The NPP finds this conduct of the NDC leadership not only unpatriotic but also very disgraceful and unconscionable,” it added.
The statement indicated that NDC’s motivation for embarking on “this serpentine path”, according to Mr Asiedu Nketiah, “was purely for political expediency, as they were only seeking to avoid taking responsibility for their election defeat”.
It said the NDC leadership knew at all material times that they had no evidence to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, but were hoping they could rely on the perceived weaknesses of the EC’s testimonies to make a case.
NDC and lies
The statement noted that it was the height of “misconduct for former President John Mahama and the NDC leadership to lie to their supporters that they had won the elections”, and, especially, asking them to come out and jubilate.
The NPP explained that they virtually asked their supporters to seek redress on the streets because the Electoral Commission had cheated them, “which their supporters also blindly followed, terrorizing innocent Ghanaians going about their usual businesses”.
The statement stressed that the conduct of Mr Mahama could have plunged the nation into chaos, and made nonsense of the enviable reputation of Ghana as the beacon of democracy in Africa.
On the strength of the NDC’s own confession, the NPP called on CSOs, political watchers and all well-meaning Ghanaians to join in demanding an apology from Mr Mahama and the NDC for the disservice they did to the country, “… which risked our democracy”.
“Our country has come a long way in our democratic journey. As stakeholders, we are all expected to protect and defend this enviable feat which has made Ghana, a shining example to other African countries and the world,” the statement concluded.
Recalcitrant Asiedu Nketia
Meanwhile, a former United Kingdom and Ireland High Commissioner under the John Mahama administration, Victor Emmanuel Smith, has cautioned persons in the NDC seeking to sacrifice the interest of the party on the altar of parochialism to desist from that act.
In an interview on Accra-based Onua FM, he stressed that such individuals will be “cut to size”, adding that “the interest of the NDC is paramount, and should be prioritised above that of any individual”.
Ahead of the party’s national congress tomorrow to elect key national officers, he questioned what Mr Asiedu Nketia, who is challenging Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, for the National Chairman position, is looking for after serving as the party’s General Secretary for the past 17 years.
“You’ve been there as General Secretary for 17 years, what is it that you couldn’t do as General Secretary that you now want to do? Is it that he wants us to go to opposition so that he becomes leader of the party? It is very worrying we have to get to this.
“If the delegates choose him, we’ll work with him, but if he tries to do anything untoward, we’ll cut him to size. If you try to ditch the party by pursuing your parochial interest, we’ll cut you to size, and this goes to everybody,” he forewarned.
He revealed that he personally counselled Mr Asiedu Nketia not to contest Mr Ofosu Ampofo, adding that “Mahama also advised him to retain his scribe role for the party, but refused”.
According to Victor Smith, what went down the shivers of many was when the Council of Elders of the NDC added their voice to the plea, but all to no avail.
Mr Smith said those contesting for the General Secretary position came out after Mr Asiedu Nketia had declared he wouldn’t vie for the office again, adding that he (Asiedu Nketia) would have gone unopposed if he had decided to retain his position.
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