Akufo-Addo, Bawumia very divisive – Jonathan Asante Otchere

A Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a politician who is very divisive in his political activities.

His comments came after the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ayesu Ntim, stated that the party is committed to reconciling with Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, the former Ejisu Member of Parliament and runner-up in Tuesday’s Ejisu by-election.

He emphasized Mr. Aduomi’s significance to the NPP and stated his determination to reintegrate him into the party.

Mr. Aduomi, who served three terms as an NPP MP for Ejisu, opted to contest as an independent candidate in the by-election.

His decision stemmed from concerns about the NPP’s handling of the delegates' album for constituency executive elections, which he believed compromised the party's integrity and fairness.

Some NPP members, including President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia, accused Aduomi of betraying the NPP and speculated that he had defected to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Commenting further in an interview with Bonohene Baffuor Awuah on the Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM, Dr. Asante Otchere said both President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia lack the spirit of reconciliation, which is very important in politics.

"If you listen to the kind of things the President and the Vice President said about Aduomi, it will be difficult for the former MP to reconcile with the NPP. The Vice President accused him of being an NDC member. That was very bad, just because he had some disagreements with the NPP and decided to contest against the party.

"Post-election, if you listen to what the National Chairman, Stephen Ntim, has said, it is wonderful, quite reconciliatory. But if you listen to the President and Vice President, these are two individuals who are very divisive. The President is also very vindictive; he does not forgive anyone who does anything against him. That is how he is. So, the decision is for Kwabena Owusu Aduomi to make. If he feels that the environment will allow him to project himself in terms of his political career, why not? If not, and since politics is about timing, if you get your timing right, you'll get your result right."