Presidential Candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has called out President Akufo-Addo as a Fourth Republican dictator.
Addressing Ghanaians in the Upper East Region, Mr. Mahamasaid the current President who claims to be a huma rights lawyer has, in power, proven to be a despot who has used attacks, hounding and even superintended over the killing of journalists who revealed rot in his government.
“One of the things the NPP uses is fear. If you criticize the administration, they will come after you, dismiss you, threaten you or kill you in some instances,” he said.
“You remember Ahmed Suale who was killed under the Akufo-Addo administration and up till now his killers have not been found.
“There was also a journalist here in the Upper East who investigated some malfeasance and he had to run away for his life,” he said.
That journalist was Manasseh Azure Awuni whose investigation revealed that Akufo-Addo had ceded the Castle Annex to a militia group, De Eye, to use as a guerrilla training camp. After the revelations, the government went after Mr. Azure, forcing him to flee to South Africa.
An MP of the same government, Ken Agyapong, also incited murder against Ahmed Suale, after he had participated in investigations that revealed that former President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, has been taking bribes for President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia. Mt. Suale was soon waylaid in traffic and shot dead by unknown assailants.
Former President Mahama is currently on a 3-day campaign tour of the Upper East Region.