In her recently published book titled ‘I am not Yvonne Nelson’, she sheds light on their respective positions and responses to her cause.
According to Nelson, President Akufo-Addo personally contacted her to extend his support and encouragement. In their brief conversation, he commended her efforts, acknowledging her as a true daughter of Ghana.
Akufo-Addo assured her that the whole nation stood behind her and encouraged her to persevere, emphasizing the importance of her cause.
"It was normal that a problem of that magnitude would give a political advantage to the opposition political parties, so while the government did not take kindly to our protest, the opposition parties were solidly behind us even though we had made it clear that our agenda was nonpartisan.
“In the days leading up to the protest, I received a call from someone who said I should hold on for the presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. In that brief call, he expressed his support for my cause and encouraged me. He said I was a true daughter of the land and that what I was doing was a good thing. He said I should push on and not be discouraged, for the whole of Ghana was behind me.”
In contrast, Nelson received calls from then President John Mahama's office, expressing his desire to meet her. However, she declined the invitation, insisting that her fellow protest organizers be present during the meeting. Despite pressure from the presidency for a one-on-one meeting, Nelson stood her ground, maintaining that a meeting without her colleagues would not take place.
"I also received calls from the office of President John Dramani Mahama. The callers said the president wanted to meet me, but I told them I would only meet with the president on condition that my fellow organisers of the protest would be part of that meeting. The officials at the presidency insisted that the president wanted to meet me alone. I stood my ground, stating that if the president was not prepared to meet me with my colleagues, then the meeting was not going to happen," she said in her book.
Reflecting on the political landscape, Nelson acknowledged that the magnitude of the problem naturally offered political advantages to opposition parties.
Nevertheless, she emphasized that her protest was intended to be nonpartisan, even though the opposition parties showed solidarity with her cause.
The #dumosormuststop protest gained significant attention and highlighted the issue of power outages in Ghana.
Yvonne Nelson's activism and determination in addressing the problem captivated the nation and brought it to the forefront of public discourse.
About the book
‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’ is an explosive and riveting account of a young woman who sets out to discover herself but finds out that she has been living with a false identity.
The drama and twists and turns of this moving story have all the markings of a spellbinding movie script, except that the protagonist, who is an actor, is contending with a reality that intermittently soaks her pillow with tears.
Uncharacteristic of an autobiography, the author comes to her audience stark naked. The book opens the door widely into the life of the author and exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly sides, not only of her life but also of the make-believe world of celebrities.
The launch was graced by many industry stalwarts, businessmen, and politicians, including John Dumelo, Adjetey Anang, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and Becca. Also present were media personalities, including Manasseh Azure Awuni, Sammy Forson, and GhanaWeb Entertainment Editor Abrantepa Benefo Buabeng.
You can also catch up on the third episode of Everyday People below:
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and John Mahama