Following the backlash he received from several personalities, one would think that the Host of Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom-Otchere, would have retracted his “Nkrumah didn’t win election” comments and probably rendered an unqualified apology to that effect.
The ace journalist who seems unperturbed has in a comeback, dismissed claims that he goofed with his comments. Speaking on the Good Evening Ghana show, he reiterated his comments, insisting that the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah neither won a presidential election nor participated in a presidential election.
In his defence, the comments were made based on results from a poll conducted during Nkrumah and J.B Danquah’s era, adding that the evidence was extracted from a book written by the late Dr. Osagyefo himself.
‘’ Yes he won election as a parliamentary candidate, the point I made is that he has never won presidential elections, and I’m adding that he had never participated in any presidential election’’
Mr. Otchere quoted page 238 of a book written by David Rooney from the University of Cambridge titled ‘’Kwame Nkrumah Vision and Tragedy’’.
“A plebiscite was held in April, and the people were asked, firstly, if they accepted the Constitution contained in the White paper, and, secondly, whether they supported Nkrumah or Danquah for president. In both votes Nkrumah and the constitution were supported by over one million votes to about 130000’’.
Mr. Adom-Otchere gave vivid explanations of the words; plebiscite, election and referendum, stressing on the fact that the three have very distinguished characteristics and do not mean the same things. ‘’It was not an election and therefore, the assertion that President Nkrumah never participated in and never won a presidential election is borne out by the evidence presented by Osagyefo himself,’’ he said.
He cited Dr Osagyefo’s words in the book; ‘’I Speak of Freedom’’, ‘’During the weeks which followed, plans went ahead for the holding of the Plebiscite. Dr J.B.Danquah was named by the opposition of the United Party as their candidate for the presidency. My candidature was based on my leadership of the Convention’s People’s Party. I made this point quite clear when I spoke at the opening of the party’s headquarters on 2nd April. After reviewing the past work of the party, I turned to the future.”
The journalist elaborated on the history of elections in the country under the various governments.
• The first presidential election held in Ghana was in 1979 which was won by Dr Hilla Limann for the PNC.
• The Second election won by Leader and Founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, was held in 1992 and 1996.
• Former President John Kufuor went on to win the 2000 and 2004 elections on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
• The late President John Evans Atta Mills also took over power as an NDC Presidential Candidate as well as Former President John Dramani Mahama who handed over to now President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2016.
