The New Patriotic Party has requested that former president John Dramani Mahama and the leader of the opposition National Democratic Party, Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, be detained, subjected to an investigation, and charged with treason and offensive behaviour by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
Prior to the 2020 general elections, Mr. Mahama declared that if the NPP continued to threaten NDC members using hoodlums and vigilante groups, the NDC would take on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) boot for boot.
He added that the NDC will have to win the national elections in 2024 or perish.
Henry Nana Boakye, the National Organiser of the NPP, sent the petition and stated that these actions violate Sections 180 and 207 of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (ACT 29), respectively. These offences must be prosecuted in accordance with Section 1 of the Criminal and Other Offenses (Procedure) Act, 1960. (ACT 30).
“Without regard for his position as a statesman, former President John Dramani Mahama boldly proclaimed on numerous venues the revolutionary roots of the NDC and its unmatched capacity when it comes to igniting violence for political benefit. Additionally, he stated that the NDC would approach the 2024 elections with a “do or die” and “boot-for-boot” mentality. This invariably illustrates their steadfastness.
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“When he was asked during a media interview what he meant by ‘boot-for-boot’ and ‘do or die”, and whether with the benefit of hindsight, he would want to retract those incendiary comments, John Dramani Mahama insisted that he meant what he said and that he was never going to retract,” Nana B as he is affectionately called added in the petition.
On the part of Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Nana Boakye said he has repeatedly “threatened fire and brimstone” to ensure the victory of the NDC in the 2024 general elections.
“He has disclosed that the elections shall be bloody and that his party was willing and ready to sacrifice lives to ensure their victory in 2024. He is on record to have stated unequivocally during his victory speech following his election as the National Chairman of the NDC, on December 18, 2022, that, it was time for members of the NDC to continue the fight to win the second Independence of Ghana, and that, they are prepared to sacrifice everything including their lives for an NDC victory in the 2024 general elections.”
Nana Boakye’s concern is that given the influential positions John Dramani Mahama and Johnson Asiedu Nketiah occupy, such remarks pose a great risk to the peace and stability of the state, and have the potential of inciting their supporters to disturb the constitutional order by resorting to some unorthodox and extra-constitutional means of changing a democratically elected government.
