Adib Saani warns politicians against inflammatory rhetoric

Adib Saani, a foreign policy and security analyst, has urged politicians to exercise caution with their rhetoric during the campaign season as their statements influence their supporters’ behaviour.

Saani’s comments follow controversial remarks made by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), during the party’s “Enough is Enough” protest against the Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday (17 September). 

Nketiah had made a number of statements, including, “If you sit on the fence today and allow conflict to mature into war, you will be conscripted into the army to fight and die, so instead of waiting for war, fight now against the elements generating the conflict,” that some may consider controversial.

Speaking on Asaase Radio’s Big Bulletin on Tuesday (17 September), Saani stressed the potential for political language to be misinterpreted, which could lead to unnecessary violence. 

“Politicians are like rock stars,” he noted. “Whatever they say has a direct correlation or influence, I should say, on the thought processes and the behavioural patterns of people they inspire and that is why they have to be extremely careful because as they speak, the people on the ground would want to implement.”

He also highlighted the importance of restraint as Ghana approaches a critical election, saying: “This election we’re going into is decisive; it’s going to be a test for our democracy, as I’ve always indicated; that is what is going to prove whether we are still experimenting or we’ve arrived as a solid entrenched democracy.”

“However, rhetoric like this doesn’t really help and it has the tendency of getting misconstrued perhaps by the followers, which can commit into needless violence, so we need to watch out.”

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