What could make once two best friends from opposing parties become foes?
That was the unfolding story when Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ayisi Boateng, clashed with his buddy and a founding member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Saani Mohammed.
The two experienced politicians who share over 40 years of friendship nearly engaged in fisticuffs on Monday, December 14 when they appeared on the GhanAkoma morning show on Akoma FM.
Tension built up during a post-mortem of the just-ended elections as Alhaji Saani Mohammed described the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission as “liars and fraudsters” for declaring the elections for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
It took the intervention of the producer, host of the show and General Manager of the Kumasi-based station to separate the two old friends from landing blows on each other.
The show had to subsequently pause for a commercial break to calm tempers.
The near-brawl began when George Ayisi-Boateng cited the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, to wit, “if you are emotionally attached to your religion, tribe, ethnic and political leaning to the point that truth and justice become secondary consideration, your education is useless”.
After Ayisi-Boateng quoted the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, the former DCE for Atwima Nwabiagya, Nana Asare Bediako, phoned into the show and contributed expressing disappointment in the High Commissioner’s submission.
Then, Alhaji Saani Mohammed, who all along had pent-up emotions against his old friend’s submissions, vented harsh words which also pricked the High Commissioner into a vexed posture.
The post-election debate, which was supposed to be issues-based, results-oriented and fact-finding, nearly ended with the near-brawl and verbal exchanges.
Watch the video below:
Source: 3 News