Spokesperson for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Tano North, Gideon Boako, has questioned the authenticity of the recent Democracy Hub protests, suggesting that demonstrations held so close to elections lack genuine intent.
In an interview on Peace FM on Friday, September 27, Dr. Boako expressed doubts about the motives behind the protests, which centered on issues like illegal mining (galamsey) and governance.
He raised concerns about the timing, particularly given the elections are just two months away.
“Anyone leading a protest and believes that if any human being dies, it is nothing, it means their demonstration was more political than conservationist. So I believe two or three months to election, there is no genuine demonstration. It is a political protest, not genuine. They used galamsey as a decoy,” he remarked.
Dr. Boako suggested that such demonstrations are often politically driven, aimed at influencing public opinion rather than promoting real change. He argued that protests held so close to an election could disrupt the electoral process, urging citizens to critically assess the intentions behind them.
He emphasized that the government is open to dialogue and encouraged genuine activism that seeks to engage constructively with authorities to address national issues. Instead of resorting to protests that may lack clarity, Dr. Boako called for a focus on dialogue as the country approaches the elections.
The Democracy Hub protests, which have resulted in the arrest and remand of 53 demonstrators, sparked debate on this issue. The demonstrators face charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, unlawful assembly, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace, and assault on a public officer.
Though they pleaded not guilty, the court remanded them into custody, raising concerns from various groups, including former President John Dramani Mahama, who described the two-week remand as an abuse of their rights.