Lawyer for the constituency youth organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Suame in the Ashanti Region, Razak Koampa Avoliya, says his client stand by his comments calling for widespread violence in the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Speaking to the media outside the police station where his client was detained by the Ashanti Regional police command to assist then with investigation, the lawyer, Evans Amankwah, indicated that his client has been charged with offence conduct.
He added that his client could not be arraigned on 8 February because time had far been spent. The police he said have assured him that his client will be arraigned on Thursday 9 February 2023 for his plea to be taken.
“We believe that those things which has been said by [other] people are equally culpable so if they are arresting anybody coming from NDC then they should as well take steps to arrest people who are also from the NPP so that the issue of selective justice will not happen in this country.
“We will corporate with the law, we are not perturbed about the detention of our brother here. He will be in cells till tomorrow, he is not worried, we want to convey this message to our numerous supporters and NDC people in the Ashanti Region, that our brother the youth organizer Suame constituency is in high spirits” his lawyer Evans Amankwah said
“In fact, he was rather encouraging us that we should leave him to be here because he meant what he meant what he said. He is not in any way perturbed about it but he has no intention of destabilizing the peace of this nation, that is not his intention.
“He was encouraging the people of Suame constituency to fortify themselves in the 2024 elections because anything can happen, for that matter, they should be prepared to defend themselves, that is exactly what he said. So anything apart from that is a misinterpretation of his words in the video” the lawyer added.
Background
In a viral video, the NDC official, Razak Koampa Avoliya, claimed that the NDC is not capable of winning elections in Ghana against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo through a free and fair process except through the use of violence.
“My experience in politics has taught me that we (NDC) cannot win an election against the NPP and Akufo-Addo on paper, we can only win through violence and you cannot have violence without casualties.
“Together with the youth of Suame, we have taken a decision to visit mayhem on all NPP members because it is the only way we can survive in the political space in the country” the Suame NDC youth organizer Razak Koampa Avoliya stated in the video clip.
“As a political party, all we need is power and there is no law that indicates that power can only be acquired from the Bible before you get the opportunity to serve in office.
“If President Akufo-Addo killed eight people to win power, why should it be strange for the NDC to kill two people in Suame to pave way for John Mahama of the NDC to return to power” he added.
Call for violence
In the video, Koampa Avoliya, further noted that he has instructed his branch youth organizers to prepare themselves going into the 2024 elections and attack every NPP member they come across if that will help the NDC win power.
“If it will take the firing of a gun for the NDC to win power, you should do that because President Akufo-Addo has demonstrated that you can kill for power.
“We are ready to do just that and the current crop of national leaders who we have elected are motivating us to use violence and that is exactly what we are going to do” the NDC officer said.
“I encourage all NDC members in the country to kill if that is what will make us win the elections. If it will take the use of guns or sticks to kill in order to win political power, do just that” Razak Koampa Avoliya said.
Wilberforce Asare
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