Sunday, December 22, 2024

Why we stopped Ghana event featuring Peter Obi – President Akufo-Addo

New details suggest the government's explanation may not have been the real reason for its action.

Ghana’s presidency has given an explanation why it abruptly cancelled a high-profile event in the capital Accra where Nigerian politician Peter Obi was billed to give a speech.

President Nana Akufo-Addo’s office said its decision to withdraw an earlier approval for the event at the Black Star Square was “necessitated by an unforeseen state event scheduled to take place at the same venue.”

But new details suggest the government acted after it became clear the event would be used to unveil a mystery presidential candidate, who for months had fuelled curiosity among voters ahead of elections in December. The move highlights the government’s apparent fear at a time of a growing youth-led campaign for populist candidates in other countries, Semafor reported.

The candidate, Nana Kwame Bediako, a wealthy property developer better known as Cheddar, had appeared in a mask for months on billboards across Ghana’s major cities. He revealed himself after the cancellation of the programme, which was to feature Mr Obi and Julius Malema of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters party who was due to speak via video call.

Prof. Patrick Lumumba, director of the Kenya School of Law, was also scheduled to speak, alongside former African Union representative to the U.S., Arikana Chihombori-Quao.

“I’m not going to be scared off,” Mr Bediako was quoted as saying. “I came to you as your salvation.”

The Convention

The event scheduled for January 7 was billed as “The Convention” advertised on flyers and billboards, and organized by the New Africa Foundation. The mood on social media soon became frenzied a day before its commencement, after rumours began to circulate that the programme would be the unveiling of the leader of the New Force political movement, known at the time as the “Man Behind the Mask.”

By Sunday evening, security forces, backed by a helicopter, took over the venue of the event to prevent people attending.

A letter from the Ghanaian president’s office, seen by Pluboard, said a permit issued on November 11 to use the site had been revoked. The letter was dated Jan. 7 — the same day as the event. It was not clear whether the government went ahead with any other programme at the venue the same day.

In a country ruled by just two parties since the move to multi-party democracy in 1992, and now grappling with its worst economic crisis in a generation, many have seen the cancellation as a desperation by the Ghana’s government to shut down a potential new youth-led threat to its prospects in the next election. The government had weeks earlier arrested the New Force’s spokeswoman.

“Inexplicable”

Many young Ghanaians have been inspired by the relative successes of new populist political movements elsewhere in Africa, especially in Nigeria and South Africa, where youth-led efforts have shown established political parties could be upstaged.

In Nigeria, Mr Obi galvanized the Labour Party campaign within a year and achieved major election wins, winning Lagos and Abuja, and 10 other states. The LP claimed it won the 2023 election and argued that its mandate was handed to President Bola Tinubu, an argument rejected by the Supreme Court.

“Peter Obi on a flyer? I will spend the last penny to be here,” said a Ghanaian student leader who identified himself as the general secretary of the country’s student association.

He said almost all student leaders were invited for the programme and many came only to learn the event had been cancelled.

“Peter Obi coming to the Independence Square in Ghana on a very sensitive day like the 7th of January to address the youth of this country. Prof. Lumumba coming to Ghana. Most especially Julius Malema coming to Ghana. Dr Arikana coming to Ghana. I think these are the Nkrumahs of Africa. Our Ghanaian Nkrumah is gone but these are the Nkrumahs of other countries. Today they are here to speak to the youths. We get here and we realize that the programme is cancelled…We are sad. We are bitter. We are pained,” he said.

It is not clear if Mr Obi knew the programme was linked to the opposition candidate Mr Bediako.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the former Anambra governor said he joined other notable African voices at “The Convention tagged ‘Igniting The Voices of Africa,’ organized by New Africa Foundation.”

“The event was however cancelled at the last moment notwithstanding the mammoth crowd that already assembled from all over Ghana and Africa. However, the three out of the four main speakers who were in Ghana already for the event; Prof Lumumba, Dr Arikana, and my humble self, granted a press interview to expatiate on the purpose of the Convention, which was mainly to start an African conversation that will give African youths hope,” he said.

Prof. Lumumba said the government’s cancellation of event was “inexplicable.”

He said the conference was only meant to share an innocent message of hope to young people across the continent, whilst encouraging them to organize and demand to play leading roles in the development of Africa.

“That is the only message we came here for, unfortunately in a manner totally inexplicable to us, we were not permitted to hold the conference at the venue,” he said.


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