Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme with Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra, the Acting Director of Elections and IT of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Jibril, paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, describing him as a man whose contributions to the party’s electoral successes will remain unforgettable.
According to Mahdi Jibril, he finds it difficult to refer to Dr. Omane Boamah as “late” because he is still carrying on the work Dr. Omane would have been doing if he were alive.
«”Dr. Omane is one person I cannot add ‘late’ to his name because I am still doing the work he would have been doing if he were alive. He would have been part of this internal election process.”»
Mahdi said he has worked with every Elections Director the NDC has had and can confidently say that the party will never forget Dr. Omane Boamah’s contribution to its electoral processes and leadership.
He recalled that when Dr. Omane was first appointed Director of Elections, many people doubted his ability and predicted the NDC would not win elections under his leadership. Ironically, those same people now praise him for his competence, openness and commitment to the party.
“I still have text messages on my phone from the period he was appointed. Many people had no confidence in him, but today those same people are celebrating him and acknowledging his achievements,” Mahdi stated.
He explained that many critics never truly understood Dr. Omane Boamah before his appointment. Mahdi revealed that he first worked closely with him during the 2012 elections when Dr. Omane was among the youngest members supervising the party’s election budget.
He described Dr. Omane as a humble leader who always sought to understand the work of others by asking questions and learning from them.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the 2020 general elections, Mahdi noted that although many party officials were commended for their efforts, Dr. Omane Boamah was unfairly criticised. He believes God eventually elevated him to the position of Director of Elections so that Ghanaians would remember his good work.
Mahdi disclosed that Dr. Omane initially did not want the position of Director of Elections and only accepted it after a delegation appealed to his mother.
Commenting on the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) planned demonstration, Mahdi Jibril dismissed claims that democracy is under attack in Ghana.
He argued that if the NPP was able to apply for a police permit and receive approval to demonstrate, then it could not claim democratic freedoms were being suppressed.
“The NPP has become a content-creation group. If you have been granted a permit to demonstrate, how can you turn around and say democracy is under attack?” he questioned.
He further alleged that some NPP members avoid driving their own vehicles to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) because they fear their vehicles may be seized, adding that he did not understand why Miracles Aboagye drove his own vehicle there.
Mahdi accused the NPP of trying to create a political narrative ahead of possible legal actions against some of its members. According to him, the demonstration forms part of a broader political strategy to portray any future accountability measures as political persecution.
He also questioned the decision to hold the protest on the same day Ghanaians are remembering the victims of last year’s military helicopter crash.
Mahdi specifically mentioned Sammy Awuku, saying he would be interested to see whether the former NPP National Organiser would choose to participate in the demonstration or honour the memory of Dr. Omane Boamah and the other victims.
He concluded that the NPP lacks strong leadership capable of offering sound advice, insisting that the party’s recent actions demonstrate poor judgment.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah / Ahotoronline.com / Accra.
