'Be ready to kill for power' comment: My client meant what he said – Lawyer of NDC man

Lawyer for the constituency youth organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Suame in the Ashanti Region, Razak Koampa Avoliya, has said has no regrets about his recent inflammatory and inciteful comments.

According to the lawyer, Evans Amankwah, his client is a law-abiding citizen who will not engage in activities that will destabilise Ghana, Asaase radio.com reports.

Amankwah added that his client was only urging members of the NDC to be prepared to defend themselves during the 2024 election.

“In fact, he was rather encouraging us that we should leave him to be here because he meant what he meant what he said. He is not in any way perturbed about it but he has no intention of destabilizing the peace of this nation, that is not his intention.

“He was encouraging the people of Suame constituency to fortify themselves in the 2024 elections because anything can happen, for that matter, they should be prepared to defend themselves, that is exactly what he said. So anything apart from that is a misinterpretation of his words in the video,” he is quoted to have said to the media outside the police station where his client was detained.

The lawyer also said that the arrest of Avoliya shows the lack of consistency by the police in the arrest of people who made similar statements.

“We believe that those things which has been said by [other] people are equally culpable so if they are arresting anybody coming from NDC, then they should as well take steps to arrest people who are also from the NPP so that the issue of selective justice will not happen in this country.

“We will cooperate with the law, we are not perturbed about the detention of our brother here. He will be in cells till tomorrow, he is not worried, we want to convey this message to our numerous supporters and NDC people in the Ashanti Region, that our brother, the youth organizer of Suame constituency is in high spirits,” Evans Amankwah said.

Back ground

The Police arrested Razak Avoliya following an investigation into a viral video in which he incited political violence ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The suspect is in Police custody and will be put before court to face justice.

Speaking to a journalist on the sidelines of what looked like a party event, the man charged members of the NDC not to hesitate to shed blood if it is what it will take to win power.

“As journalists, you were witnesses to a situation where people were shot and killed in the 2020 elections. So standing here today, I am to make sure that no NPP member can come and kill me.

"So we are in and I will advise every true NDC member that in the 2024 elections when it becomes necessary to kill someone to win, kill them; even if it requires that you shoot someone or club them to win us power do it,” he told a journalist with Oyerepa FM.

The 2020 elections albeit largely peaceful, saw pockets of violence which led to the death of about 8 persons.

According to the opposition NDC, the New Patriotic Party through state security and vigilantes used violence at various polling stations to rig the election.

However, the NDC has said that things will be different in the 2024 elections as it will go into the polls more prepared to ward off any such incidents.

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