The Social Democratic Forum (SDF), a pro-NDC group has suggested that Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II habours some form of hatred towards Former President John Dramani Mahama, ABC News can report.
The group argues that the decision of the Asantehene to make claims that in their view spites the former President at no mean a place than the United Nations General Assembly is evident of his ill-feeling for him.
A statement released by the pro-NDC group and sighted by ABC News faulted the Asantehene over what the group described as his alleged involvement in partisan politics against the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.
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“It is a fundamental tenet of our constitution that our traditional rulers, i.e. our Chiefs, Queens, and Kings do not involve themselves in partisan politics – either implicitly or explicitly.
“It appears that one of our prominent ‘King’, the Asantehene, to be precise, has flagrantly violated this convention, by transgressing his traditional role motivated by an evident hatred of ex-President JD Mahama.
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The SDF’s statement follows comments made by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the UN High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, suggesting that he leveraged on his influence in Ghana’s governance system as a traditional ruler to persuade former President Mahama to concede defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election.
Without his timely intervention, the Asantehene told the gathering, Ghana could have ended up losing its peace and development.
The Asantehene’s comments, however, attracted a sharp response from the office of the former president, denying the allegation that Mahama was persuaded to accept defeat.
Julius Debrah, former Chief of Staff under Mahama, in the press release, retorted that the decision by Mahama to concede to Nana Akufo-Addo was taken by the former president without any influence from the Otumfuo.
The Social Democratic Forum, expressing its opinion emphasised, “The claim by the Asantehene that he personally asked former President Mahama to relinquish the presidency after the 2016 election is bogus, and a complete fabrication.”
“Prior to the announcement of the official election results by the EC, it was President Mahama, who in an unprecedented move, took a bold decision punctuated by an act of humility, by reaching out to the current President to inform him of his acceptance of electoral defeat,” it said
The group stressed that the Asantehene, like all other chiefs, serve as a beacon of heritage and tradition, a role, it said, could be stained if traditional rulers engaged in partisan politics.
The group cautioned all chiefs suspected to be meddling in politics to “know their place” and desist from such practices as it has the potential to bring their authority under disrepute.
“The Asantehene and all those other chiefs that are in his thrall should realise that they do not have any political remit. We humbly ask them to “know their place,” the group said.
Read the full statement below: