Gabby bribed my executives to endorse Akufo-Addo – Ayariga

The disqualified presidential candidate of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has blamed NPP sympathiser Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko for the confusion in the APC, alleging that the latter bribed the party’s sacked General Secretary, Razak Opoku and vice presidential candidate, Emmanuel Carl Bartels to support the candidacy of the Nana Akufo-Addo.

Mr. Opoku criticized Ayariga’s suspension of him and Bartels stating that the APC’s failed presidential hopeful lacks the power to act the way he did.

Ayariga on Sunday in statement announced the suspension of Bartels and Opoku after they issued a statement on behalf of the party supporting the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo.

“Enough is enough and the trending song is the change of the incompetent Mahama presidency. We strongly believe that only the Nana Akufo-Addo can offer a more credible, incorruptible and transformational leadership than all the other presidential candidates contesting the December elections,” they said.

Speaking Tuesday after endorsing the candidacy of John Mahama, the presidential nominee of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ayariga claimed that the dismissed executives surreptitiously met with the leadership of the NPP to take money in exchange of their support.

“After a week to election, you go and sell your party for GHS 15,000. Are you kidding me? Look at the millions of dollars I have spent and you go and negotiate with NPP and take GHS 15,000 to sell APC and Ayariga. ...They gave them GHS 15,000...but the money was given out by Gabby Otchere-Darko. Gabby Otchere-Darko handed the money out to them...” he said in an interview with Accra-based Class FM.

“The party is not taking anything from any political party to endorse their leader. The party wants power sharing and that is all the party is asking for so that if you win power some APC members can become Ministers, Deputy Ministers, DCEs, so that we can build and develop our nation. This is what APC is looking for. We have money. What are we using money for,” he added.