FLASHBACK: Ghana’s Presidency not meant for only tall people - Akufo-Addo

Exactly a year ago, May 21 2019, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo responded to critics suggesting that Ghana can only be governed by tall presidents.

He responded to the claims over his height during his two-day tour of the Savannah Region.

“Follow your ambition…you remember what they used to say about me? Akufo-Addo can never be President he is too short…they say he is too short, you remember that”, he asked and burst into laughter attracting the same from the gathering.

“Everybody that said he can never be president. I am President of Ghana today,” he said to spontaneous cheers from the crowd.

The height of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo became a major campaign tool for the current opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the build-up to 2008, 2012 and 2016 respectively with sections writing him off the race completely at those instances.

Read the original story published by GhanaWeb on May 19, 2019

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has finally replied his critics who for close to a decade held the erroneous impression that Ghana’s presidency is meant for only tall people.

The height of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo became a major campaign tool for the current opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the build-up to 2008, 2012 and 2016 respectively with sections writing him off the race completely at those instances.

Determined as he was, he soldiered on and won the 2016 elections with a wide margin and was sworn into office as the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces on January 7 2017.

Responding to the claims over his height vis-à-vis the Presidency at Sawla during his two-day tour of the Savannah Region, the president urged students who gathered to follow their ambition irrespective of the criticisms from their opponents.

“Follow your ambition…you remember what they used to say about me? Akufo-Addo can never be President he is too short…they say he is too short, you remember that”, he asked and burst into laughter attracting same from the gathering.

He added “his house Dr. Dankwa and everybody they can never be President so he can never be president. I am President of Ghana today”, he said to spontaneous cheers from the crowd.

It would be recalled that Akufo-Addo in 2016 garnered 5, 716, 609 votes, representing 53.84 percent to snatch the presidency from former Mahama who secured 4,713,277 votes, representing 44.40 percent.

The NDC also lost more than 40 parliamentary seats to the NPP, which gave the latter majority in Parliament.

This was also the third time Akufo-Addo attempted on the ticket of the NPP and won the election.