Mahama backs Ghana first demo, condemns Anyidoho arrest

Kweku Zurek Mar - 28 - 2018 , 10:40 2 minutes read

Former President John Mahama has declared his support for the ongoing demonstration against the military cooperation agreement between Ghana and the United States of America.

Mr Mahama expressed his support for the march organised by the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF) on Twitter, Wednesday in Tweet.

“I join in declaring #GhanaFirst as my compatriots and other democratic forces converge to demonstrate their opposition to demonstrate their opposition to the Ghana/US military agreement,” the post said.

Commenting on the arrest of the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Koku Anyidoho yesterday, Mr Mahama described the show of force by the armed police officers in effecting the arrest as disproportionate.

“As a party that prides itself in the non-criminalisation of speech, with a self-acclaimed human rights activist as president, the arrest of K. Anyidoho with armed men in the middle of a press event is obviously disproportionate. Moreso, the high-handed police response to innocent citizens waiting at the CID HQ is condemnable," Mahama wrote in a post on his Facebook page March 28.

Mr Anyidoho has been charged with treason after he predicted a civil coup d’etat will topple President Akufo-Addo's administration.

What did Koku Anyidoho say

Mr Koku Anyidoho in an interview on Accra-based Happy FM said President Akufo-Addo suggested that President Akufo-Addo was likely to suffer the fate of his father who was overthrown as President by a military coup in 1972.

“Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself,” the NDC firebrand said.

“On January 13, 1972 a certain Colonel 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,” the former presidential spokesperson opined.

Mr Koku Anyidoho added: “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.”