Anyidoho arrest: We’re not scared – Portuphy

The Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Portuphy, has said that the party is unperturbed by the arrest of the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Koku Anyidoho.

“I’m sure they want to frighten and scare people. It is not right that we are in a press conference and then a police man arrives then they say they arresting the Deputy General Secretary of our party, how can they do that? It is not right but they cannot scare anybody, they should know” Mr Portuphy fumed.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service picked up Mr Anyidoho on Tuesday, 27 March, for inciting civilians to launch a coup d’etat against the Akufo-Addo government.

Mr Anyidoho was picked up at the Press Centre in Accra where he and several other opposition leaders belonging to the Progressive Forces, were holding a news conference, to condemn the government for signing a security cooperation deal with the United States of America.

Class91.3FM's Joshua Kojo Mensah reported that CID officers wielding guns, stormed the press conference to pick up Mr Anyidoho amidst chaos and resistance from several other people who were at the presser.

Mr Anyidoho’s arrest follows indications by Minister of Information Mustapha Abdul-Hamid that Ghana’s security agencies must invite the NDC politician over his comment.

Mr Anyidoho told Happy FM on Monday, 26 March that: “Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself.

“On the January 13, 1972 a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself.

“There’ll be a civil revolt. There’ll be a people’s movement. During President John Mahama’s tenure didn’t we receive similar threats from the likes of Let My Vote Count and OccupyGhana.”

“There’ll be a civilian coup d’etat; there’ll be a social revolution and the movement is starting on Wednesday. He [Akufo-Addo] will be fed up at the presidency,” Mr Anyidoho said.

Mr Portuphy who was with Mr Anyidoho when he was arrested added that they will cooperate with the police.

“We will go and listen to them, they said they want him. He works for us, don’t worry we will go,” he told pressmen.