Politics of Sunday, 1 February 2015

Source: myradiogoldlive.com

I will campaign for Mahama in 2016 – Abeiku Santana

In spite of criticisms unleashed on him for declaring support for the then-candidate John Dramani Mahama, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, a.k.a. Abeiku Santana has reaffirmed that he will campaign for the President in the 2016 elections.

It would be recalled that in the countdown to the 2012 General Elections, Abeiku Santana founded the group, Youth For Mahama (YFM) with some other media giants to help mobilize the youth for Mahama ahead of the December polls, a stance that saw many calling for his dismissal from Okay FM.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Gold’s Kofi Okyere Darko(KOD) on Home Touch, Abeiku Santana disclosed that he has known the first family for fifteen years and as such has a cordial relationship with them.

Abeiku Santana said he believed in the leadership qualities of President Mahama which is why he defied all odds to amass votes for the President.

Contrary to what critics of Abeiku Santana espoused at the time that his association with President Mahama will divide his constituents or listeners, Abeiku Santana assured that the situation described above has rather made him more influential.

According to him, he does not use his position as a radio presenter to campaign for any candidate adding that his profession is his priority.

“There are a lot of hypocrites in this country. I’ve known President Mahama for 15 years; I’ve travelled with President Mahama and his family. If I disappointed my followers I want to say it is not wrong. My popularity hasn’t dwindled. It is not true that it has divided my followers…I will continue to campaign for President Mahama,” he disclosed.

Appraising the performance of President Mahama in his second year as leader of the country, the ace radio presenter insisted that the President has been resilient in the face of harsh economic challenges and for this reason should be commended.

He is optimistic that President John Dramani Mahama will be successful as President of Ghana.

“I’ve been making this argument that President Mahama is the only President who has suffered and is still strong and fresh,” he praised.

The former "Efie Kwanso" host on Adom FM was nonetheless quick to acknowledge that the President is surrounded by some hypocrites who consistently misinform him about happenings in the country.

He attributed the prevalent power crisis for instance to the inability of some technocrats to tell the President the truth about the situation on the ground.

Abeiku Santana therefore, advised the President to be focused on delivering on the mandate given him by the people of Ghana.