Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has stated that the party will only take decisive action if there’s an imminent threat of illegality.
While the NDC maintains some confidence in the Electoral Commission (EC), Gbande suggested that the government is influencing the commission. However, he noted, that the party will still trust the commission as an institution.
In an interview discussing the party’s refusal to sign the peace pact, Gbande explained, “The people in charge can either do the right or wrong thing. If they choose to do the right thing because we’re all reminding them, then we’ll have peace. So, we still have confidence in the commission, but we need to address these visible challenges.”
Regarding whether the NDC will reach an agreement before the elections, Gbande emphasized that they will not sign a peace pact unless certain conditions are met.
He urged the peace council to ensure that the police define election security properly and that the Electoral Commission operates transparently. Gbande asserted, the NDC won’t do anything untoward until an illegality is about to happen they will “strike”.
He noted that while the party is aware that the Electoral Commission is recruiting people, they have chosen not to react unless these recruits are used for illegal activities. In such cases, the NDC will respond proportionately.
When asked about the possibility of reconsidering their stance on signing the peace pact, Gbande stated that if the peace council fulfills its duties and ensures that the relevant institutions are functioning correctly, the NDC might reconsider.
He emphasized that the police should investigate unresolved cases, while the Electoral Commission carries out its duties effectively.
“If those conditions are met, then we can sit down and discuss peace,” Gbande said.
“But if on the contrary you’re asking us to be signing a document when people are not committed to doing what the law mandates them to do then you are preparing a table of chaos. It is better for individuals on that table to rather beat up themselves than go empty to go and get killed” he emphasized.