MP who called for adulterous women to be stoned apologises (audio)

The Member of Parliament for Daboya/Makarigu in the Northern Region, Nelson Abudu Baani has explained his comments on stoning of adulterous women have been misconstrued.

He has subsequently apologised and explained that he was not talking about the entire generality of stoning to death.

“Anyway, well, if what I have said people don’t understand it, I apologise. I am sorry, I am not cruel. I only set an example that some countries this is what they do. But there should be some reforms other than that after this bill is passed, we’ll see a lot of confusion,” he told Joy FM in an interview.

Listen to the apology here

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There have been calls for the MP’s resignation following his approval of “stoning to death” any woman, including his wife, if found guilty of adultery. 

The pressure group, OccupyGhana for instance demanded an apology and retraction for the “misogynistic statement made in Parliament calling for Ghana to emulate the disgraceful example of Afghanistan by hanging or stoning women deemed guilty of adultery, and then to resign from Ghana's august House of Parliament.”

The group, in a statement issued Sunday, also asked the minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, “to immediately and in the strongest terms possible condemn, unequivocally, this heinous statement, and support our call for his resignation.”

Nelson Abudu Baani last Friday defended the call he made Thursday in parliament during deliberations on the Interstate Succession bill in Parliament, saying it would serve as a deterrent to other women from cheating on their husbands. 

“When I was going through the [Interstate Succession] bill I realised that there is no punishment for women, so I said if it is so, then they should put in some punishments so that any woman who wants to inherit her husband when he dies would be faithful,” he submitted. 

He rebuffed his critics, particularly women who joined in radio discussions of his vexatious call, asking them what it is that they were afraid of.