Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper says the National Democratic Congress has no one to blame but themselves for the unprecedented manner in which they lost the December elections.
In Kweku Baako’s view, leadership of the party and President Mahama refused to heed to advice when it was necessary so they should deal with it.
Citing President Mahama’s show of executive power during the controversial Montie Three incident among others, the veteran journalist said the NDC should not have expected anything less than a loss.
“In the Montie Three case, I was unhappy with the custodial sentence…as a matter of principle, I wished it hadn’t happened.
“But post that event, to cure that mischief, we said presidential pardon will be a disaster and I said it would amount to political suicide if the president went that way, but hey went ahead and did it and they thought that thing had no effect,” he said on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’.
The Montie Three
The country was plunged into a state of shock when three pro-NDC communicators threatened to rape the Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood and kill other judges who sat on a case brought against the Electoral Commission.
The two panelists; Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson and radio host Salifu Maase popularly known as Mugabe were cited for contempt after inciting hatred against and threatening to kill Justices of the Supreme Court on a political show on an Accra-based Montie FM. They were sentenced to four months in prison in July.
Presiding judge Sophia Akuffo in reading out the sentence said the panelists were in the studio purposely to attack with recklessness. The Court also fined owners of the company that operates the network, GHS30,000. The owner of the frequency, Harry Zakour was also fined GHS30,000.
When the sentences were handed down, leaders and supporters of the NDC have described it as excessive. Shortly after they were sentenced there was a groundswell of petitions, mostly from party supporters, ministers of state and the contemnors themselves begging for pardon.
Gender Minister, Nana Oye Lithur signing the petition
One of the lawyers for the contemnors, George Loh said the sentence was harsh and pleaded with the president to activate his powers of mercy under Article 72 of the Constitution.
President Mahama was cautioned agianst freeing the convicts, but he didn’t not listen. In August, President Mahama released a statement that he had granted pardon to the Montie Three contemnors on compassionate grounds. They were out of prison three days later.
For a loss the NDC is still unable to comprehend, Mr Baako believes, they would have done themselves a lot of good if they listened to advice.
“When they [Montie Three] were finally pardoned, they didn’t show remorse they went back on the radio and insulted people.”
The pardoning of the Montie Three, in his view, sent a message to the middle class that the NDC government was not accountable to the people and not worthy of another term in office.
“Why will the president free this Montie Three because of politics, and you think no one will take notice of that?” the veteran journalist quizzed.
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