The eruption of violence after the 2024 general elections has revealed a very dark and chaotic political landscape which hitherto, was hidden from us, courtesy the National Democratic Congress.
Our democracy, for all intents and purposes, has been lopsided at best since the NDC have demonstrated that they abhor it in all its forms. Shockingly, all those who were preaching virtue to the New Patriotic Party prior to the elections appear to have gone into hibernation.
NDC goons have been unleashing violence, beating and maiming people, threating EC officials with knives and guns, coercing Returning Officers to declare NDC parliamentary candidates, winners in elections they clearly lost. This, strangely, has never been on the lips of the very people or institutions which have been at the forefront of chastising the Akufo-Addo administration all this while.
People have been intimidated and harassed by the members of the National Democratic Congress after the 2024 elections, yet IMANI Africa, Media Foundation for West Africa, Centre for Democratic Development, Ghana Integrity Initiative, Institute of Democratic Governance, etc, have kept quiet.
The groups which advocated and got the NPP to disband its Delta and Invincible Forces over the violent skirmishes that rocked the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election are the same people who seem to find absolutely nothing wrong with the violence and disruptive activities being caused by thugs associated with the NDC.
It is the height of hypocrisy on the part of these so-called neutrals, professors and leaders of CSOs to keep deafeningly silent in the face of these undemocratic acts by these NDC members. They are essentially, giving different strokes for different folks.
To some of these people, if NDC wins a seat, it is fine, but if NPP wins, they blame it on rigging. Videos of Returning Officers being threatened to be killed if they do not declare NDC candidates winners, but shockingly, none of these apostles of democracy has condemned them.
With the silence of these CSOs in the face of these NDC thugs strong-arming NPP members to take their seats away from them, what would future elections be like? A political party that would be able to organize and train more and aggressive vigilantes would win elections. Only the strongest would survive. These institutions can make themselves more useful than they currently are.
P.K.Sarpong, Whispers from the Corridors of the Thinking Place.
