Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of undermining its own political fortunes, warning that their actions could alienate supporters and weaken the party’s hold on power.
Speaking to JoyNews on the sidelines of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Delegates Conference in Kumasi, Mr Awuku likened the NDC’s conduct to a party rushing towards electoral defeat.
“When a party is losing an election, the very signs that you see are walking into it like Usain Bolt. The NDC is running into opposition like Usain Bolt,” he said.
He pointed to the demolition of structures at Labadi as one development that could deepen discontent among the governing party’s grassroots supporters.
“Go to the streets of Labadi, they’ve cleared everything there,” he said.
Referring to videos published by JoyNews, Mr Awuku claimed that some of the affected people were supporters of President John Dramani Mahama who depended on their businesses for their livelihoods.
“Multimedia Joy FM, I’ve seen some of your videos. Some of the people who were cleared were wearing Mahama’s apron. And some of them were openly smoking and telling you you’ve taken the food off their table,” he stated.
He argued that the demolitions could have political consequences because the affected area falls within a constituency represented by an NDC MP.
“The Member of Parliament for the area is not our MP. She’s an NDC MP. But she can see her seat slipping away,” he said.
“And that’s why I told you the NDC is running like Usain Bolt into opposition.”
Mr Awuku said he was concerned that supporters who had worked to secure the NDC’s return to power were now bearing the impact of government decisions.
“I am sad for the foot soldiers of the party. They worked tirelessly for their party to form government.”
He further alleged that some grassroots supporters felt betrayed and were threatening not to vote for the party again.
“The government has turned its back against them, and that is why many of them are swearing in the open that they won’t vote for their party again,” he said.
Beyond the demolitions, Mr Awuku criticised what he described as arbitrary arrests and the persecution of opposition activists. He warned that such practices could create a precedent that might eventually affect the NDC and its younger supporters.
“And as I am advising them, and coupled with the arbitrary arrest, the persecution of opposition activists, their party and government has set up a very dangerous precedent that someday will chew up the future and the younger generation of the NDC,” he said.
He also suggested that the government was acting as though it had already conceded that it would eventually lose power.
“The danger of what we are facing is that this government thinks that they’re on their way out. So they’ve checked out already.”
Mr Awuku also weighed in on the arrest of lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which has sparked public debate.
He said the lawyer had been brought before a specialised court and questioned why the court was able to sit over the weekend, contrasting the situation with the earlier Salomey matter.
“As we speak, they have presented him to a court, to the specialised court,” he said.
“I’m surprised. If you remember the case of the Salome matter, they said that the judge wasn’t available,” he said.
“Today this government has been able to get a weekend court to sit on.”
The Akuapem North MP cautioned that the handling of political opponents could fuel calls for retaliation if the NPP returns to power.
He said supporters could then pressure a future NPP administration to treat the NDC in a similar manner, an outcome he said should be avoided.
“When NPP forms government again, and then you have supporters of the party putting pressure on the President and asking him to visit the same venom. And that is what we don’t want.”
Mr Awuku welcomed what he described as increasing criticism of the government from the media, civil society organisations and religious leaders, saying such voices were beginning to speak out.
“And I am happy that decent voices, media houses, civil society organisations, the clergy, and the religious leaders are beginning to speak out,” he said.
