Ghana’s former Ambassador to the UK Victor Smith has said President Nana Akufo-Addo was “surprised” that he won the 2016 presidential poll.

“He [Nana Akufo-Addo] was surprised that he won,” the failed Abuakwa North

“To be very frank with you [I was surprised Nana Akufo-Addo won] and I think he was surprised that he won,” Mr Smith told Kwadwo Asare-Baffour Acheampong (KABA) on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen political talk show on Friday, 26 May.

“ … They [New Patriotic Party] had done their bit, he [Nana Akufo-Addo] had gone twice and with all the achievements of the Mahama administration, some of them, for some reasons dwelt on maligning President John Mahama so much to the extent that Vice President Bawumia’s wife was insulting the president. … I heard some of them refer to [President Mahama] in derogatory terms and I asked myself: ‘Is this where our politics has gotten to?’” Mr Smith said.

He added that the attacks on Mr Mahama were inspired by the desperation of the NPP to win power and so Nana Akufo-Addo himself could not believe it when he was announced as winner of the polls.

As far as his party’s loss was concerned, Mr Smith said he was surprised the NDC lost. “I was confident that in spite of our shortcomings and mistakes, we had done enough to win so it shocked me a little bit when we lost.”