The President of the Law Students Network, Kwaku Gyasi, has cautioned against what he describes as a dangerous convergence of prophetic pronouncements, unsubstantiated allegations and inflammatory political rhetoric that could be used to justify claims of rigging and spark unrest after the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) January 31 presidential primaries.
His warning comes amid growing concern over developments surrounding the party’s flagbearership contest, as prophecies, opinion polls and increasingly combative campaign statements have dominated public discourse in recent weeks.
During Watchnight services on December 31, several self-styled prophets publicly predicted the outcome of the primaries, with the majority projecting victory for former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
These pronouncements appear to align with various opinion polls and internal party surveys, which have consistently placed Dr. Bawumia ahead as the preferred choice of delegates.
As the election date draws closer, the convergence of polling trends and prophetic claims has reinforced perceptions in some quarters that the outcome of the contest is becoming increasingly predictable.
However, a parallel and more troubling narrative has also emerged. Some prophets who predicted victory for Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, a leading contender, coupled their declarations with warnings of violence and chaos should he fail to win.
One such prophecy, attributed to Prophet El Bernard Eshun, suggested that unless the election is rigged or “a dog is able to fly,” Agyapong would emerge victorious.
Critics argue that such statements appear to pre-emptively introduce allegations of rigging and cast doubt on the credibility of the process.
Similarly, Prophet Owusu Bempah, a known critic of Dr Bawumia, has prophesied chaos and bloodshed following the primaries, further heightening public anxiety, despite not explicitly predicting the eventual winner of the contest.
These prophetic warnings have since found resonance within the political space.
Kennedy Agyapong has publicly alleged that there are plans to manipulate the election.
Addressing delegates during a campaign stop at Asokwa, he claimed that elements within the Bawumia camp intended to deploy about 50 “macho men” to intimidate delegates and rig the process.
He warned that any such attempt would be resisted, adding that “blood will flow” if the alleged plan is carried out.
Reacting to these developments, Gyasi said the emerging pattern points to a deliberate attempt to lay the groundwork for explaining a potential defeat by fostering claims of rigging and post-election unrest.
According to him, the combination of violent prophecies, unverified allegations, and threatening campaign rhetoric poses a serious threat to internal party democracy and peace.
Gyasi stressed that pre-emptive claims of rigging especially when reinforced by religious pronouncements and inflammatory political language have the potential to undermine confidence in the party’s electoral processes and inflame tensions among supporters.
As the NPP prepares for one of its most consequential internal elections, renewed calls are being made by party faithful and civil society actors for restraint, responsible communication and strict adherence to democratic principles to ensure a peaceful, credible, and unified outcome.
Gyasi has further called on party elders to urgently intervene and resolve the matter ahead of the primaries to prevent the eventual outcome from being clouded by controversy or violence.
Source:
www.ghanaweb.com