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Stop destroying our billboards – NDC warns NPP against raising political temperature

Mahama 2024 Campaign has issued a stern warning to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to cease and desist from attempting to pull down or obstruct billboards of its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, or National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidates.

The campaign’s warning comes on the heels of an incident where the Chief Executive of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) allegedly pulled down a billboard mounted by Alliance Media in Tema, which had been rented and paid for by the Mahama Campaign.

The billboard was part of a series of outdoor advertisements promoting Mahama’s bid for the presidency in the upcoming 2024 elections.

The Mahama 2024 Campaign has condemned the TMA’s actions as “unacceptable” and “needless provocative,” pointing out that Alliance Media has the legal right to mount Out-of-Home (OOH) and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) sites nationwide, and pays the required annual fees to the TMA and other assemblies.

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The campaign has also warned that such actions are detrimental to the growth of democracy and may lead to political clashes and violence.

Furthermore, the campaign has drawn attention to similar instances of billboard sabotage in other parts of the country, including in the Ablekuma North constituency, where an NPP operative allegedly blocked a billboard mounted by the NDC parliamentary candidate. Despite these incidents, institutions such as the National Peace Council, religious organizations, and civil society groups are monitoring the situation.

The Mahama 2024 Campaign has cautioned that such acts will no longer be tolerated and has urged the NPP to campaign peacefully and respect the rights of others to advertise their political candidates and messages.

“Violence and destruction of property have no place in our political discourse,” the campaign stressed, quoting President Mahama’s recent opinion piece on the need for “peace and decorum in our political discourse.”

As President Mahama himself stated: “There must be peace and decorum in our political discourse, especially in the run-up to high-stakes elections such as those we face in December this year.”

Failure to comply will result in necessary measures being taken by the campaign to prevent such acts across the country.

It is time for politicians to put aside their differences and conduct themselves with decorum and respect for each other’s rights.

“We urge all stakeholders to respect each other’s rights and freedoms, and let us conduct ourselves with civility and respect for our democratic institutions,” said a statement from the Mahama 2024 Campaign.

Below is the statement by Mahama Campaign Team;