The spokesperson for the Mahama campaign team, Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, has described as “shameful” and “hypocritical”, Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo’s description of former President John Mahama’s recent meeting with some diplomats over the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence as “shameful” and “unpatriotic”.

In a statement issued on Friday, 15 February 2019, Mr Agyenim-Boateng said Mr Mahama “acted appropriately by meeting with the diplomats”.

Mr Agyenim-Boateng continued: “It is shameful and hypocritical on the part of Mr Osafo-Maafo that he had the temerity to describe Mr Mahama’s meeting with diplomats the way he did, especially when the Senior Minister still serves in the Akufo-Addo government under whose watch state-sponsored goons with weapons and police SWAT Hunter Vehicles were unleashed on voters.

“Interestingly, when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of which Mr Osafo-Maafo is a member, conducted itself at a 21st-century by-election as though it was engaged in a 16th-century conquest, the Senior Minister did not find that ‘unpatriotic and shameful’.

“Even more worrying is the claim from key government functionaries that the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election ‘remains the most peaceful by-election on record’”, the statement noted, adding: “The dastardly acts of the pro-government hoodlums left scores of people injured and maimed from beatings and gunshots”.

“For the avoidance of doubt”, Mr Agyenim-Boateng clarified: “Former President Mahama acted fairly and appropriately by taking a pre-emptive step to galvanise public support to save Ghana from the looming catastrophe fueled by the NPP and its thugs ahead of the 2020 elections.

“Apart from re-stating the commitment of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to free, fair and peaceful elections, Mr Mahama’s meeting merely shared information that was already in the public domain.

“If that was ‘unpatriotic and shameful’, as Mr Osafo-Maafo put it, then he must lay the blame squarely at the doorstep of those who sponsored the NPP thuggery on the day of the by-election.

“It must also be pointed out that it is not unusual for government, opposition and other key opinion leaders to routinely brief stakeholders, including the international community, on major developments in the country. Indeed, this practice is not alien to the NPP.

“Instead of Mr Osafo-Maafo and his cohorts worrying their heads over who is being briefed, they should concentrate on arresting the perpetrators of the mayhem and bringing them to justice”, the statement added.