Joseph Yammin, the National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has defended the Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande, for encouraging party members to carry guns and cutlasses to polling stations during elections.
Yammin argues that these weapons are necessary for the protection of the NDC and to prevent unforeseen circumstances.
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM, Yammin expressed his belief that the deployment of armed personnel during elections, as seen with individuals like Hawa Koomson and other government appointees, necessitates the need for NDC members to take their security into their own hands.
He emphasized that such comments would persist until the police administration takes the security of elections more seriously.
"Who is Hawa Koomson that when she is going to vote, soldiers will be following her with guns to go and assault people at the polling station?... that thing will not happen if the IGP doesn’t invite everybody. If not, that statement is going to be said today, it is going to be said tomorrow, and it is going to be said on election day,” he said.
He continued "So, Mustapha’s statement is just simple: if we cannot get adequate security, then we will provide our own security, and with this, what is the threat? So, if they should take weapons there, what do you expect them to go with? Do you think that those that Afenyo Markin made the police slap, if such people were also having guns, would he have let them slap them?"
Meanwhile, Gbande is currently under investigation for making inflammatory remarks during a discussion on Okay FM where he asked NDC faithful to arm themselves during the 2024 polls.
He asserted, “I have told the leadership of the NDC that we have to prepare in advance for the NPP. When we are going to the polling station, let’s carry with us cutlasses. If we do, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not be able to misbehave toward us.”
Despite being pressed by the show's host to justify his call for violence as a senior member of the largest opposition party, Gbande insisted that arming themselves at voting centres is the NDC's way of ensuring a free and fair election.
In response to this, a statement from the Police announced the commencement of investigations into the matter, affirming their commitment to upholding the laws and democratic values of the country.
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