2020: We'll 'resist', chase away armed NPP 'hoodlums' with people power – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has served notice that the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will “resist” the “hoodlums” of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the next polls with people power.

While campaigning in the Volta Region ahead of the NDC’s flagbearer primary, Mr Mahama told party delegates and supporters in Battor in the North Tongu Constituency on Saturday, 2 February 2019 that: “Look at what happened in Ayawaso West Wuogon, and what was pitiful was that these were armed people that our Ghana Police Service say they don’t know. And yet, at Ayawaso West Wuogon, the guys were running rampage and our police service could not control them. They were rather giving orders to our people”.

He added: “… The principal responsibility for security in any election in Ghana is the IGP, it’s not the Invincible Forces, it’s not Delta Forces.

“In any case, go and read the Constitution, the duty of the National Security Council is not to control a force, they coordinate the existing security services. They are not supposed to have hoodlums dressed in police uniforms using police vehicles and firing bullets at our innocent citizens”.

“And we are serving notice: the Deputy Minister of National Security has said they were responsible for deploying them. We are serving them notice: they shall never deploy such a force in any election in Ghana again. We will resist it. You haven’t seen armed people running away before. When the power of the people come after you, you will run. We are for peace, but to enjoy peace, you must be vigilant and you must be alert. We must defend our democracy. This is the ‘all-die-be-die’ philosophy at work. We won’t accept ‘all-die-be-die’ in this country. And when the chiefs are advising, they should advise the ones who are unleashing violence, not me”.