Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, October 18, 2014, received predicted endorsement from delegates of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to become the party’s flag bearer for the third consecutive time with the hope that he will be third (3d) time lucky.
In the elections that were held in all 275 constituencies simultaneously across the country, Nana Addo secured a massive victory of 117,413 votes, representing 94.35% of the total votes cast.
The other candidates; Alan Kyerematen and Hon Francis Addai-Nimoh polled 5,908 votes representing 4.75% and 1,128 representing 0.91% respectively.
However, Nana Akufo-Addo’s victory may be facing a very difficult challenge which could force the NPP to find a replacement for Nana Akufo-Addo before the 2016 general elections in Ghana according to NPP insiders.
Speaking to Amansan Boafo in an interview on Amansam FM UK, a long time friend of Nana Akufo-Addo and a very strong NPP woman, a lawyer by profession based in London , United Kingdom said, Nana Akufo-Addo has in the past been arrested at Heathrow Airport on drug-related offences. When pressed to provided evidence, Dede Djaba said, she was not going to put the details in the public domain yet but dares Nana Akufo-Addo to deny the allegations. She said “Nana was a good friend; I worked for him, believed in him until I got closer and found out what I do know today. Amansan why do you think his own Cousin will say, he cannot sleep comfortably in Ghana with his children and feel safe any day should Nana Akufo-Addo ever become the president of Ghana? I am telling you, he is a dangerous man. If Nana Akufo-Addo says he has never been arrested in the UK, he should agree to a DBS background check to be done on his life and lifestyle in the UK. What you will find is shocking, and I know what I am saying”.
In a related development, Miss Grace Coleman, an NPP member from Ayawaso Constituency in Accra has called on the NPP to do a serious background check on Nana Akufo-Addo. She said the fact that “we ignored and failed on responsibility to do a proper and detailed background check on Nana Akufo-Addo before we allowed him to lead the party in the last two (2) general elections is an indictment on all Ghanaians especially the media”.
On issues relating to drugs, Ms Coleman who was speaking on Osibisa Radio’s Policy Focus show said, “We know he does it openly whenever he visit USA”. Asked if Nana Akufo-Addo has ever been arrested, she was emphatic that, yes Nana Akufo-Addo was in the past arrested at Heathrow, London.
Under the Ghanaian constitution, people with criminal records are not qualified to be presidents in Ghana. The issue of Nana Akufo-Addo’s association with drugs is something which has been in the media on the speculative side of things over some time now. Wiki leaks cables report which suggest that a seasoned Ghanaian journalist Mr Kwesi Pratt is said to have alleged that “thick dark smoke” comes from Nana Akufo-Addo’s house every morning and the continues silence of Nana Akufo-Addo in all these is worrying.
Leaders like David Cameron openly admitted ever using drugs when he was young and indeed such public admissions often draw more favour towards the person. Our hope therefore is that before it is too late, the NPP and the candidate Nana Akufo-Addo should do us Ghanaians a favour and set the records straight.