Rawlings 'hobnobbing' with Akufo-Addo 'pains me' - Victor Smith

Mr Victor Smith has said he was “pained” to have seen former President Jerry John Rawlings hobnobbing with then-candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party in the run-up to the 2016 elections.

Mr Rawlings, the founder of the National Democratic Congress, was seen a few times in friendly handshakes with Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of the polls. This, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to the UK said, pained him.

Speaking to Kwadwo Asare-Baffour Acheampong (KABA) on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen political talk programme on Friday, 26 May about the internal problems confronting the NDC, Mr Smith said: “I felt so bad about it when he [Mr Rawlings] seemed to be hobnobbing with the NPP in the run-up to the election. I, in particular, and I know so many others were unhappy that a founder of our party could be seen to be hobnobbing with our major opponent as we are about to go to war. It’s unheard of in any jurisdiction to be seen to be hobnobbing with the principal opponent as we prepare for war.”

“And I had the opportunity to tell him: ‘This is how I feel.’ I told him on WhatsApp and he said I didn’t understand, but I told him I understand. It is unheard of and there are so many people who are upset about it.

“We saw signs of it and it was not the best. Some of us fell very pained about this. I don’t know about others who don’t want to talk but I feel pained that we worked so hard, travelling at night, up and down campaigning, people have died in accidents preparing for elections and your founder is hobnobbing with the chief opponent on national television. It’s painful, I must say it’s painful.”