The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has become so intolerant that anybody who speaks against flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo is flayed and taken to the cleaners, President John Mahama has said.
Speaking at the NDC’s campaign launch in Cape Coast on Sunday, 14 August, Mr Mahama said: “Developments in the largest opposition party threaten the democratic health of our country. It is said that the nature of an organisation is founded on its leadership. The largest opposition party has prided itself as the apostle of democracy and this has metamorphosed in recent times into a very intolerant organisation.
“Those who can hurl the most verbal abuses are the most respected and hailed in that party. They are patted on the back by the leadership for doing a good job.
“The soul of the party has been captured by the hawkish and intolerant fringe and this group has cowed the moderates and other level-headed members of the party into silence. Anyone who raises his or her voice against the current leadership of the party is promptly set upon in the media and on other platforms. And even the former president on whose record the party is running has not been spared his share of these insults.
“The verbal abuse has led to a culture of silence in the party and even though the emperor is wearing no clothes, everybody is afraid to tell him so. The party has become intolerant of dissenting opinion and those who have spoken out have been promptly dealt with, removed from office, and threatened with physical harm.”
He continued: “These days, only a few dare raise their heads in opposition to the leadership and all are waiting for the bus to crash and then to repair it and bring it back on the road.”
According to Mr Mahama, “The suspected Agenda 2020 is the result of the intolerance in the current leadership of that party. And this intolerance stretches even outside that party. Any person who says anything positive about John Mahama or about the NDC is promptly set upon with insults: religious people, chiefs, celebrities have all been harassed for expressing their support for the NDC administration. And yet there are chiefs and celebrities who have expressed support for the presidential candidate of the NPP and nobody has insulted them for that. This cannot be healthy for our democracy. A mark of competence and good leadership is to unify your followers behind you and that is not the case in that party today. I know these comments I’ve made will elicit a barrage of insults…”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
