Comments made by speakers at the governing National Democratic Congress’ campaign launch over the weekend in Cape Coast were facts and not jabs, presidential staffer James Agyenim-Boateng has said.

According to him, there was nothing wrong with any of the comments about the NPP because to him, the speakers spoke the truth and nothing else.

Speaking in an interview with Emefa Apawu on Class FM’s 505 news programme on Monday, August 15, Mr. Agyenim-Boateng said he did not agree with people who referred to the utterances as “jabs”.

“I do not know what you call jabs. Is it a fact that we have an opposition political party that is not unified; that we have an opposition political party that is torn apart and fighting among themselves; that members of the executive are either suspended or they are in court? These are all matters of fact,” he explained.

Speaking at the event on Sunday, 14 August, President John Dramani Mahama described the NPP as an “intolerant organisation” with members who are Olympic gold medallists in insults.

He said: “Developments in the largest opposition party threaten the democratic health of our country. It is said that the nature of an organisation is founded on its leadership. The largest opposition party has prided itself as the apostle of democracy and this has metamorphosed in recent times into a very intolerant organisation.”

“Those who can hurl the most verbal abuses are the most respected and hailed in that party. They are patted on the back by the leadership for doing a good job.

“The soul of the party has been captured by the hawkish and intolerant fringe and this group has cowed the moderates and other level-headed members of the party into silence. Anyone who raises his or her voice against the current leadership of the party is promptly set upon in the media and on other platforms. And even the former president, on whose record the party is running, has not been spared his share of these insults.

“The verbal abuse has led to a culture of silence in the party and even though the emperor is wearing no clothes, everybody is afraid to tell him so. The party has become intolerant of dissenting opinion and those who have spoken out have been promptly dealt with, removed from office, and threatened with physical harm,” he underscored.

Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye, in his speech, indicated that the presidency was not about being short or being bespectacled.

Without specifically mentioning names, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodio stated: “Being a president is not about being tall. It is not about how short a person is. Being a president is not about the spectacles that one wears but the love for one’s country and its people and finding solutions that will benefit citizens.”

The description, however, fits opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the only presidential nominee in the race that is short and bespectacled.

For his part, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu, suggested that Nana Akufo-Addo lacked information, otherwise he would have known that the policies he was promising during his campaign had already been implemented by President John Mahama.

According to him, he had heard Mr. Akufo-Addo recently talking about introducing a Fiscal Responsibility Act, but what he promised “has been done by John Dramani Mahama”.

“The Minister of Finance has already completed the first ever Public Financial Management Act for Ghana to ensure discipline. Let Nana Akufo-Addo be reminded that he needs to do some more reading,” he added.

But Mr. Agyenim-Boateng disagreed with critics insisting that the statements were jabs. He believed the speakers gave a good account of the achievements chalked by the party so far in office based on which the electorate should vote to retain the NDC in office on December 7.

“If for anything at all, the speakers stated the promises that the NDC made and how these promises have been fulfilled. It is also a statement of fact,” he stressed.