Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, has denounced the reliance on insults by political parties on the campaign trail, urging a more constructive and respectful approach to political discourse.
Franklin Cudjoe strongly condemned the use of intemperate language by the two major political parties, emphasizing its detrimental impact on the political landscape.
He highlighted how such language contributes to heightened tensions, undermining constructive dialogue and civil discourse in the political climate.
“I have learned that some politicians have descended into the gutter describing their opposite flagbearers as either drunkards [for] John Mahama or pork eater Alhaji MB, a practicing muslim for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Sad”.
Franklin Cudjoe
Franklin Cudjoe noted that in the past, there was a disturbing trend of vile ethnic-based name-calling, which he described as “a litany of despicable” incidents that perpetuated harmful stereotypes and divisions.
He remarked that, setting aside the ethnic slurs, the use of terms like “Sakawa”, “yahoo”, and “mafia” as insults struck him as ironic, given that these words actually refer to specific types of criminal activity.
As such, Franklin Cudjoe questioned why they were being used in such a context, expressing more bewilderment.
“For instance, CSOs have been described by Nana Addo as ‘damp squib’, ‘perpetual doom and naysayers’, ‘professional Jeremiahs’, for their unbended policy activism”.
Franklin Cudjoe
Franklin Cudjoe noted that, ironically, when President Nana Addo criticized John Mahama for referring to some government officials as “sakawa”, he implied that civil society organizations (CSOs) should condemn such utterances.
He stated that he had indeed denounced the offensive remark made by former President John Mahama, consistent with the call for civil society organizations to speak out against such language.
Franklin Cudjoe wondered how civil society organizations (CSOs) could be expected to speak up when the President and some of his appointees seemed determined to silence them.
He pointed out that certain government actions and utterances appeared to be deliberately designed to eradicate CSOs from Ghana’s landscape, effectively muzzling their voices.
NDC Accuses NPP Of Smear Campaign Against Mahama
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has alleged that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has orchestrated a smear campaign on social media, using fake news peddlers to falsely portray John Mahama as a “drunkard”.
Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the NDC, has stated that this smear campaign is doomed to fail due to its reliance on unfounded and fabricated claims.
“Someone also decides to call you a “Pork Eater”. There noorrr, you run to your political appendages in the Police Service like a cry baby for them to arrest your accuser”.
“Oh so, you can throw stones at your political opponent but you cannot take pebbles in return. Are you the only person with blood flowing through your veins?”
Sammy Gyamfi
Sammy Gyamfi dismissed the allegation that his deputy would be arrested for calling the Vice President a “Pork Eater” as a baseless political witch-hunt.
He condemned the move as a blatant attempt to silence opposition voices and stifle free speech.
The NDC stalwart, Sammy Gyamfi, defiantly dared the NPP and its allies to follow through with their threat, saying the NDC was not intimidated and willing to face any attempted arrests.
Sammy Gyamfi warned that if the NPP arrests his deputy, Malik Basintale, for calling Dr. Bawumia “Alhaji Pork Eater”, they should be prepared to arrest everyone else who uses the same moniker.
He vowed that the NDC would actively help popularize the nickname, ensuring it sticks as Dr. Bawumia’s new title.
The NDC Communicator, Sammy Gyamfi, slammed the NPP’s actions as absolute nonsense, expressing his disdain for their behavior.
Civil society organizations and the National Peace Council have expressed deep disappointment and concern over the escalating trade of insults between the NDC and NPP.
As such, they are urged both parties to prioritize peace and civility in the lead-up to the December elections, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue over divisive rhetoric.
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