Former President John Dramani Mahama has revealed what led to his ‘boot for boot’ comments explaining that it was as a result of heated emotions on his part.

The former President came under heavy criticisms amidst calls for him to retract and apologise following comments that many understood had the tendency to fuel political violence in up coming elections.

Shortly after a by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in January this year which was characterized by some violence, Former President John Dramani Mahama while addressing some NDC supporters on a campaign tour in the Volta Region said the NDC could match the governing NPP “boot for boot” when it comes to violence.

“ ... the NDC has revolutionary roots and that when it comes to unleashing violence, nobody can beat us in unleashing violence,” he said.

However, in a rather interesting turn, the former President for the first time has explained that his comments were not conceived but uttered out of shock and anger upon seeing videos and pictures of masked men unleashing violence on some members of the NDC at the by-election.

While answering questions from audience at a Seminar at the Saïd Business School at the Oxford University in the UK, he said “The shock of seeing what happened there...Of course, you know when you speak and you are emotionally charged, I said that we were going to match them boot for boot but everybody knows my disposition and so I’ll rather have a peaceful outcome”.

He further accused the governing New Patriotic Party of hiking political violence through party militias by inviting mercenaries to come and train their party security in weapon handling and other marshal arts hence turning the macho men into militias.

“It created a disturbing trend and it all crystallized in what happened in a by-election” he added.