– Nana Akufo-Addo

He is known variously as “Yen Akan Fuo”, “Yenim Wo Fi Tete”, “At All Cost We Must Win The 2012 Elections”, “All Die Be Die” and many others. This is the man who vowed that he will taste the presidency at all cost and enjoy all the flamboyance and pecks that comes with that high office before, before.

But please hold your fire! Do not be dismayed, and do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God and believe also in Ghana, because in the political gallery in Ghana are many politicians, but I have zeroed in on who the cap fits. And the lot fell on no other person than Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the man who has stood on the ticket of the NPP in the past two presidential elections and lost them all.

It is Nana Akufo-Addo’s posture of ascending to the presidency come what may which sent him into a denial mode when he glaringly lost the 2012 Presidential Election. He could not take it! He, therefore, went Bananas! And Akufo-Addo’s first inkling was to reject the results. He then incited NPP supporters to converge at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra to protest and cause chaotic scenes.

Some innocent people were beaten by NPP supporters whilst a few lost their lives. Even the press which has been extremely sympathetic to the NPP for close to 20 years were not spared the rod that emanated from Akufo-Addo’s disappointing loss at the polls as some reporters were heckled and their vehicles smashed. Nana Akufo-Addo went on the rampage when he realized that his dream-prized presidency has slipped away from him.

When condemnation started from all fronts, Nana Akufo-Addo just adopted a last minute window dressing approach and asked his supporters to go home while he prepares to take his so-called electoral malpractice allegations to the courts.

My heart bleeds when some people who perhaps did not follow the aftermath of the declaration of the 2012 Presidential Election results, falsely give good accolades to Nana Akufo-Addo as a real democratic who did not allow his supporters to continue to stay at the Obra Spot, but dispersed them as he headed for court.

Real democrats are not violent people. True democrats always adopt people’s first approach. And genuine democrats don’t cause unnecessary pains to the very people they seek to govern when they are rejected at the polls. Therefore, I personally do not see Akufo-Addo as one of them. Now back to my take.

True to his words, Nana Akufo-Addo went to the Supreme Court with loads of allegations which he claimed contributed towards his loss in the polls. Some of the phony allegations were duplicate serial numbers, duplicate polling station codes, unknown polling stations, over voting, voting without biometric verification and unsigned signatures of presiding officers.

It was Nana Akufo-Addo’s last hurray towards his dream presidency. The nine-member Supreme Court Justices looked into the sham evidence which were hurriedly packaged and presented to them. They also listened to the petitioners elaborate on why 4 million valid votes should be thrown away to assist Akufo-Addo to march on to victory. But the respondents in the case countered and punched multiple holes into the fake evidence presented by Nana Akufo-Addo. The respondents in the end tore Akufo-Addo’s so-called evidence into tartars.

A date was then set for judgment. It was August 29, 2013 and the whole country was on edge. Just after 11 am on that fateful day, Akufo-Addo who never learns anything in life zoomed to the Supreme Court in a convoy of more than 20 SUV’s with security detail that compares only to the presidency. Do you recall Akufo-Addo’s behaviour after he was elected as the flagbearer of the NPP to contest the 2008 Elections? His motorcade and fleet of cars dwarfed that of then President JA Kufuor making the latter steam with anger.

It took less than 5 minutes for the Supreme Court Justices to pronounce judgement. The NPP was stunned. The NDC was elated. President Mahama was vindicated. The NDC stayed in power. The NPP became deflated. President Mahama’s presidency was given the seal of approval. Ghana became peaceful. And life is still going on.

In less than 2 hours after the verdict, we heard from Ghana’s most stubborn, arrogant, violent and notorious politician. Nana Akufo-Addo who felt caged finally gave up. He conceded defeat, called President Mahama to congratulate him, stated that he was disappointed with the ruling, accepted it nonetheless, and asked his supporters to shove off and allow Ghana to move on in peace.

But Akufo-Addo was not done yet. He saved his beef for the last. He told Ghanaians that he has had enough of the NDC and therefore retired from active politics. What he however failed to tell Ghanaians was that, it was rather the NDC that has retired him from politics. The shameful defeats that Akufo-Addo has suffered at the hands of late President John Mills and current President John Mahama were too much for him to bear hence his decision to run and take a respite in the Elephantic (my own word) bushes.

Akufo-Addo is gone. He’s history, and never again will anybody dream of such a character emerging on the political landscape in Ghana. Kudos to the NDC for a job well done! I trust you Akufo-Addo will never be able to figure out how the NDC did it before, before.

nakuakoduah@yahoo.com