If a list were to be generated to capture the names of Ghanaian politicians who have ever been abused, Gabby Otchere Darko would not be missing from the top spots.
It is therefore safe to say at this point that his party’s ascension to power and for that matter, his relatives’ firm grips on the helms of governance has contributed to his safety in this election period.
Calling him a sacrificial lamb then, may not have been too far from the reality. This perhaps could be the reason after his party regained power, he has remained a dominant figure in government.
He has been nicknamed the ‘De Facto Prime Minister’ by his opponents for this reason. Some members of the opposition parties, particularly the NDC believe he wields information that not even key members of the government are privy to.
But his vociferous style of politics did not start from 2017 when his relative was sworn in as president. GhanaWeb in this article throws back to some days his actions and inactions landed him in trouble.
1. Talensi by-elections in 2015
The by-election in Talensi was largely described as Ghana’s day of shame by many critics because a rather simple process of filling a vacant parliamentary seat turn into a blood bath by angry member of the NDC and NPP.
The by-election followed the enskinment the MP, Robert Nachinab Doameng Masore as the Paramount chief of the Tongo traditional area and his subsequent resignation from parliament.
Suring the entire process, Gabby Otchere-Darko did not go missing in action. As a matter of fact, he was part of NPP officials who ‘graced’ the by-election. But as if his presence wasn’t enough, the entire process was suddenly doused in violence.
Recounting his experience, Gabby said he together with some leading members of the NPP were attacked and shot at by gunmen. He wrote on his Twitter page “I just got shot @ by drive-pass gang in pickup. 12 shots fired at us in front of NPP office, with soldiers nearby. No injuries.”
2. Let My Vote Count Demonstration
Another incident which is probably etched in his memory also happened in 2015. Gabby Otchere-Darko during a demonstration by pro-NPP pressure group was severely beaten by law enforcers with batons and horse whips.
The aim of the demonstration was to ratchet up pressure on the Electoral Commission (EC) to create a new voters register but this turned into pockets of violence and brutalities.
Gabby was not the only victim of police brutalities during the demonstration, one person lost an eye in the process.
“One (security officer) came from nowhere to beat me up,” Otchere-Darko told a reporter.
Gabby wrote in 2019 about his experiences, “When some of us were shot at (multiple times) in front of the NPP constituency office by drive-by NDC thugs right in front of armed security men (soldiers and police), speeding through security check barriers on July 7, 2015 during the Talensi by-election; when some of us were beaten up by police officers for holding a peaceful street protest for a clean electoral roll on September 16, 2015; on just these two back-to-back events where some us were personally at the receiving end, we did not hear the President, John Dramani Mahama…”
Gabby (shirtless) during the LMVC demonstration
3. Gabby abused in New York
That’s not all, in 2017 even outside the shores of the country, some irate Ghanaians managed to abuse him Gabby on the streets of New York.
A group of protesting Ghanaians in New York heckled and hurled insults at Gabby as he walked the streets. They filmed him in the process and accused him of stocking corruption in the country.
Gabby summarized his entire experiences with angry Ghanaians as “Gabby abre”, which translates as ‘Gabby is tired.’ It must be noted however, Mr Otchere Darko has also on some occasion verbally attacked his opponents.
Founder of Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko