Akufo-Addo accuser dead

Abubakari Rufai, the 32-year-old man who accused the 2012 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, of urinating on the walls of a mosque at the Yagbonwura Palace in Damango, thereby defiling the place, has passed on.

Abubakari Rufai aka ‘Disastrous’ has since been buried in accordance with the Islamic customs in Damongo in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region. He is reported to have died last Friday of urine retention at a Government Hospital.

An NPP delegation led by Dr. Clifford Braimah, Northern Regional Secretary together with some constituency executives on behalf of the party’s 2012 flagbearer, visited the family to sympathize with them over the death.

Alhaji Abubakari, the father who was emotionally moved by the gesture of the NPP and its executives, extended his heartfelt gratitude to Nana Addo and wished him well in all his endeavours.

The soft spoken man described Nana as a kind-hearted man in view of his interest for the welfare of his family despite the wild allegation that were leveled against him, which turned out to be untrue.

It would be recalled that prior to the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections the late Rufai was quoted in several media platforms especially, pro NDC newspapers as having seen the 2012 NPP flagbearer urinating on the walls of a mosque close the palace of the overlord of the Gonja Traditional area, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Borisa Jakpa.

The accusation, despite its prominence in some media outlets, later turned out to be untrue, incurring the anger of the Yagbonwura Tuntumba Borisa who issued an ultimatum for the parents of the boy to bring him to the palace or face his wrath.

He was alleged to have absconded from Damongo after the accusation which gained a lot of steam in pro-NDC media houses paving way for some political opponents of the NPP leader to cast institutions at him.

Yaw Boateng Gyan, NDC national organizer was heard using the unfounded allegation to cast a slur on Nana Addo.

The paramount chief for whom the NDC flagbearer visited the area took an offence in the matter, as it also gave room for people in the country to believe he had no urinal at the palace.

It was in this light that he gave orders to the parents of Nana’s accuser to produce him dead or alive or face the full rigours of the laws of the traditional council.

This was preceded by an outburst by angry NPP youth who demanded the traditional council to indicate its stance on the matter to restore the dignity of Nana Addo.

According to them, the issue that the flagbearer urinated at a mosque at the Yagbonwura’s palace when he paid a courtesy call was a blatant lie and propaganda by his detractors to tarnish his reputation.

The Yagbonwura who was concerned about the large number of the youth that trouped to the palace at the time requested parents to produce him for the necessary sanctions.

It later took the intervention of some NPP leaders to have the late Rufai saved from any punishment and counseled him to be of good behaviour.

Nana Addo himself insisted he held no grudge against him or his family and demonstrated his love even at death to the amazement of residents who have been full of praise for the NPP ever since.

Nana Addo sent a message of forgiveness to the family of the late Abubakari Rufai after his death.

The message of forgiveness was delivered to the bereaved family by Douglas Tahiru, NPP chairman for the Damongo constituency before his burial.

The family thanked Nana Addo for forgiving their son.

Nana Addo has further ordered the NPP Northern regional executives to represent him and to fully participate in the final funeral rites of the late Abubakari Rufai.