Kwame Baffoe
AN ACTIVIST of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused functionaries of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of beating war drums in the run-up to the 2012 general elections.
Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye DC, described President Mills as the father of war mongering in Ghanaian politics as he has been shielding his ministers and appointees who make derogatory statements against their political opponents.
He noted that President Mills who ascribes to himself the title ‘Asomdwoehene’ (prince of peace) initiated the beating of war drums while in opposition in 2008 when he stated that Ghana would turn into Kenya if he failed in his third presidential bid.
Abronye DC told DAILY GUIDE that after narrowly winning the 2008 election, President Mills has given another strong indication that he will only hand over power in 2017 even though the NDC is going to lose miserably in the 2012 elections.
According to him, the President has refused to discipline his ministers and other NDC spokespersons who keep on creating fear and panic in the country with their insults and threatening comments.
“These foul-mouth ministers and party functionaries have received the blessing of the President who has either promoted them or appointed them to head key state institutions,” he pointed out.
He also lambasted Presidential Spokesperson, Koku Anyidoho for threatening to deal with NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo and other bigwigs in the main opposition party.
Abronye DC alleged that the NDC has hatched a rigging plan to win the 2012 election at all cost based on discussions the party had at a recent secret meeting at Shai Hills with a top official of the Electoral Commission.
Not long ago, the Deputy NDC National Propaganda Secretary, Ladi Ayamba was said to have told Citi Fm, an Accra-based radio station that “the NDC will retain power by hook or crook.”
Citifmonline quoted her as saying, “I know the NDC is on top of affairs and I know that 2012, no matter what, the NDC is going to continue to rule this country and Professor John Atta Mills would continue to be the President by hook or crook.”
The NPP activist said this has been the game plan of the NDC towards election 2012 as they have amply shown through their deeds. “Ghanaians are therefore not surprised that the NDC has vehemently opposed the biometric registration with verification, a system which will ensure a more credible election simply because they want to use foul means to win the election by hook or crook.”
He also alleged that while in opposition, the NDC applied similar tactics to win the 2008 elections as they described it as a ‘do or die’ affair.
Using documentary evidence to support his claims, he quoted several newspaper publications prior to the 2008 elections including the pro-NDC newspaper, the Democrat on 3rd March, 2008, in which Baba Jamal, then the NDC Deputy General Secretary said his party will use all legitimate and constitutional means to fight the election results if they were rigged.
The paper further quoted him as saying that the year 2008 was a “do and die affair” for the NDC and advised indifferent executives to make way for committed members.
Abronye DC also took a swipe at Kofi Wayo, the maverick politician for suggesting that Nana Akufo-Addo should be arrested for his ‘all die be die’ comment. He accused Kofi Wayo of threatening to destabilise the country if the 2008 election results had not favoured the NDC.
He stated that the likes of Okudzeto Ablakwa, Baba Jamal, Omane Boamah, Asiedu Nketiah, Prof Mills and many others in the NDC beat the war drums during the 2008 election but nobody in the then NPP government called for their arrest.
He explained that ‘all die be die’ signified vigilance and if the NDC came to power through ‘do and die’ in 2008, then the NPP will also come to power in 2012 through the ‘all die be die’ mantra.
From Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani