Parliamentary Defense and Interior Committee calls for the arrest of John Mahama

Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Defense and Interior Committee, Collins Owusu Amankwah, is calling on the security agencies to arrest the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama.

Mr Mahama’s arrest, he said, is warranted by his alleged incitement of his party supporters to cause mayhem in the country after his defeat in the just-ended 2020 presidential and parliamentary election.

According to him, the public utterances by the former president is fueling series of violent demonstrations across the country by NDC supporters.

“He [Mahama] should be arrested for instigating party foot-soldiers to perpetrate violence through demonstrations across the country after he lost the election,” he told Adom News‘ parliamentary correspondent, Abednego Asante Asiedu in an interview.

“If you are seen to be instigating party supporters to perpetrate violence by burning tyres and throwing stones, then he [Mahama] as a ringleader must be held responsible. So, he must be arrested to advise his supporters that enough is enough,” he emphasised.

The Vice-Chairman, who doubles as Chairman of Parliament’s Assurance Committee, also called on the National Peace Council, faith-based organisations and other moral society to call the former president to order and use the laydown procedures to seek redress.

“All because the elections did not go his favour so Ghana should burn or if people will die, he doesn’t care, the National Peace Council, faith-based organizations and the moral society should call the former President Mahama to order that enough is enough,” the legislature said.

“He is an apology to opposition leaders in Africa and for that matter even the whole world, why is he disturbing the peace of this country?” Mr Amankwah, who is the MP for Manhyia North, asked.

President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo was re-elected for a second term after December 7 presidential and legislative elections as announced by the Electoral Commission (EC).

After the EC’s declaration, the 2020 presidential candidate of the NDC, Mr Mahama rejected as “fraudulent” the results of the country’s elections.

The former president has subsequently stated that he will accept the results of the recent elections only after an independent forensic investigation has been undertaken to confirm the veracity of the results.

But Mr. Amankwah believes that the only appropriate forum to address such concerns of the former president is at the apex court of the land.