Ghanaian broadcaster and host of Good Evening Ghana Paul Adom-Otchere has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, describing him as the most influential politician of Ghana’s 4th Republic.
In his view, President Akufo-Addo has contributed immensely to the transformation of the country.
He referenced the ‘Kume Preko’ protest in the 1990s and his impactful political campaigns.
The remarks were made during the launch of his book, Africa’s New Constitutional Leadership: 77 Stories that Defined Ghana’s 4th Republic, held on November 29, 2024.
He opined that Akufo-Addo’s influence transcends electoral victories, leaving a lasting legacy in the country’s governance and democratic evolution.
“Nana Akufo-Addo, the most impactful politician of the 4th Republic. We considered mobilisation, demonstration, and influencing as important aspects of democracy.
“We say in the 4th Republic, Nana Addo is the greatest mobiliser from the ‘Kume preko’ event, and we talked about the department of campaigning and elections. And we say again that, as far as the 4th Republic is concerned, it was his mammoth campaign in the 1998 Sunyani contest that he lost. And the impetus that he gave to the NPP’s 2000 campaign, the famous ‘wo mba tsa k3mi’ [we’re changing government], puts Akufo-Addo as the one who leads the Department of Campaigns and Elections.
“And then we come to conciliatory politics, and that is also another important department of democracy that has sustained the 4th Republic. No one comes close to Akufo-Addo, who conceded defeat, with just 25,000 separating himself, and the winner in 2008. So on conciliatory politics, he wins there too.”
He also praised President Akufo-Addo for promoting media diversity during the election, when the court ordered equal airtime for all political parties.
“And then we come to enhancing media plurality, enhancing media plurality, Akufo-Addo had led in the courts many of the cases that granted independent media, especially the case titled the NPP vrs GBC, where the Supreme Court established the obligation of the state broadcaster to allow equal time to all political parties during elections. There again, enhancing media plurality, we give it to Akufo-Addo.
“Expanding the franchise, there too, it’s Akufo-Addo’s take because it was he who in 2010 decided that if the NPP was going to expand the electoral college which votes for its leaders, it used to be just 2,000 people, he decided that he will not participate if the party cannot amend to expand what they have today. So on expanding the franchise, which is an important part of democracy, we give it to Akufo-Addo.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
