Deputy General Secretary for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Foyo Gbande, clarified his earlier remarks that seemingly encouraged NDC supporters to arm themselves with cutlasses.
Speaking on Starr Today with Efia Tutuwaa Danso, Mr. Gbande asserted that he is not a violent person but rather a very principled person.
According to Mr. Gbande, his remarks were meant to encourage citizens to defend themselves in response to the government’s actions which he perceives as violent.
He further cited an incident where Hon. Afenyo Markin allegedly brought military officers to his constituency during Assembly elections, resulting in violence against journalists and citizens, prompting Mr. Gbande’s suggestion to carry cutlasses to polling stations for protection.
“No, I am not a violent person, I am a very principled person. I did tell NDC supporters to carry cutlasses. How is that not peaceful when you have people wearing police uniforms and killing innocent voters? The context with which I used the statement of cutlasses was not what Asaase Radio published. You know, we had an assembly election and then Afenyo Markins took military officers to his constituency, beating up people, including journalists. So I was asked, and I said, have we gotten to a place where polling stations are no longer safe? That you can only go and cast your vote, and by the time you realize you have received a stray bullet, or someone comes and slaps you for no wrongdoing. If that is the case, when you are going to a polling station, defend yourself with a cutlass, have it in your pocket if that is something to defend yourself,” he noted.
He continued, “Even worse because eight people have been killed and nothing has happened. If they were your kids, would you be happy? I am encouraging people to defend themselves because you have a violent government in place. But will you go and be praying in church when they bring people to come and kill you. I am not a type that you will attack and I will run to a church room to go and pray. When you precipitate violence towards me, you will get a proportionate return of sin. Maybe a bit higher than what you have done, that is me. And I won’t take members of a party to an election where I know that the opponent wants to kill. And I ask them to go and be holding bibles.”
