New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo could own 30 houses in Ghana and abroad if he were materialistic, his cousin Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has said.

Mr Otchere-Darko’s statement is in response to an attack on Nana Akufo-Addo by the flag bearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, who on Monday September 26 accused the 72-year-old politician of still living in his father’s house despite his age.

Mr Ayariga said: “I built my first house at the age of 22. … At age 72, my senior and my father, Nana Akufo-Addo, is still living in his father’s house. At this age 72, I would have retired from politics and been advising young men of this country to move this country forward and not contest with them anymore.”

Reacting to the story published on classFMonline.com, Mr Otchere-Darko said what Mr Akufo-Addo had done was to improve upon what his father had left him while dedicating all his energies to pursuing happiness for the majority of Ghanaians.

In a Facebook post, Mr Otchere-Darko described Nana Akufo-Addo as an overly generous person who was incorruptible.

“I hear an ‘opposition’ presidential candidate has started attacking Nduom and Nana Addo. He says at 72, the latter should not be staying in the house his father built. Is this supposed to be an attack? If Nana Addo, one of Ghana's most successful lawyers, were materialistic, he would have probably owned 30 houses by now, plus others abroad. What he has done is to improve upon what his father left him, dedicating all his energies to pursuing happiness for the greatest number of people. He is overly generous with whatever wealth he gets. He is not greedy. He does not possess even a credit card and does not have a foreign account. Yes! He owns three houses, one built by his father (Nima), another built by his mother (Kyebi) and one he built (East Legon), where he lived as MP and Minister. Ghana is blessed to have in 2017 a president who is not driven by material things for himself but for all citizens of his nation. He is honest, he is selfless, and he is not corrupt. He is just a simple man, with a big heart and a big mind,” he posted.