Ace Ghanaian broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere has hailed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the most impactful politician in Ghana’s 4th Republic.
According to him, the President has played a transformative role in shaping Ghana’s political landscape.
His glowing remarks were made during the launch of his book, Africa’s New Constitutional Leadership: 77 Stories that Defined Ghana’s 4th Republic, on November 29, 2024.
Mr Adom-Otchere cited Akufo-Ado’s activism during the landmark ‘Kume Preko’ protests of the 1990s saying he has left 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 an important aspect 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 campaign and elections. And we say again that as far as the 4th Republic is concerned, for 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 Campaign and Elections.”
The broadcaster also stressed Akufo-Addo’s leadership in reconciliation during critical democratic moments.
“And then we come to conciliatory politics, and that is also another important department of democracy which 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.”
“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.”
The book further details Akufo-Addo’s advocacy for media pluralism, including his legal efforts in landmark cases such as NPP v GBC, which secured equal airtime for political parties on state media.
“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: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
