Akuffo-Addo rigged election 2008 - Quarshigah

Propaganda Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is claiming that flag bearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, was vehemently opposed to ex-President Kufuor's desire to adhere to the tenets of the constitution by handing over power to the NDC after the NPP lost the 2008 general elections.

Richard Quashigah alleges that Nana Addo was part of a group of NPP activists who stood against then President Kufuor’s decision to relinquish power, adding that he (Akufo-Addo) never supported the idea of handing over power to the NDC.

Speaking on e-TV Ghana’s Breakfast TV Newspaper Review, the NDC’s Propaganda Secretary further alleged that some NPP guru’s including Nana Addo and Nana Fredua Agyeman Ofori Atta, a Communications Expert and who incidentally was his co-panelist on the show, rigged the 2008 election in favour of the NPP.

“Nana was obviously one of the guys who were kicking against the transition of power to the NDC after the election in 2008; he was one of them actually. If you say evidence, somebody told me so and it was a verbal interaction… I am not a liar and he, Nana knows that and you (referring to Nana Fredua) were one of the people who rigged what you can and was able to swell the numbers in some of the constituencies” he alleged.

Mr. Richard Quashigah was commenting on the geo-political turmoil in neighboring Cote D’Ivoire and what lessons it offers for Ghana.

Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidate, Alassane Ouattara have both sworn themselves in after claiming victory in a presidential run-off.

Mr. Ouattara was declared the winner on Thursday, December 2 by Cote D’Ivoire’s Election Commission, but on Friday, the ruling was overturned to favour the incumbent by the Constitutional Council, which is led by an ally of the incumbent, Mr. Gbagbo.

In the opposition stronghold of Bouake, seven hundred people marched down a main boulevard, calling on Mr. Gbagbo to step down. They chanted “Gbagbo, thief!” and carried signs including one that read: “Ten years in power, nothing good.”

The fear is that if he fails to find a way out, rebel groups in the north who support Mr. Ouattara will take up arms in protest.

When the host of the programme, Bismark Brown questioned Mr. Quashigah whether he had evidence, the NDC’s Propaganda Secretary said he had no proof since the information was by word of mouth.

According to Mr. Quashigah, it is common knowledge even within the NPP itself that Nana Addo tried to thwart the transition process when it was clear the NPP had been soundly beaten in the second round of voting during the 2008 election.

The host then asked him to withdraw his statement since he did not have any evidence to back his claim. To which Mr. Quashigah reluctantly did saying, “It was a verbal interaction but I will withdraw on the grounds that I do not have documentary evidence; but what I’m saying is based on verbal account. I am withdrawing because that it will also be unfair of me to put the name of that gentleman out here; it is on that condition that I am withdrawing,” he said.

But a visibly angry Nana Fredua did not take kindly to his co-panelist’s allegation. He threatened to initiate a law suit against the NDC’s Propaganda Secretary for accusing him of manipulating election results.

“You can be sued for what you are saying. I, Nana Fredua rigged election? Is that what you just said? You just said on national TV that I rigged an election…you are truthful to yourself and you can say directly to me that you have evidence that I rigged an election? You will have a law suit on your head…There are certain things that this gentleman does, he knows I won’t allow that… you meet me in court to prove that,” he fumed.