Gabby Otchere-Darko apologises to Charlotte Osei over state land accusation

New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has apologised to the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), Charlotte Osei, for accusing her of buying state land.

In a social media message dated September 12, 2024, Gabby Otchere-Darko stated that the former EC chair had reached out to him privately to clarify that the accusation he made about her buying state land was inaccurate. As a result, he has retracted his initial claim and apologised to her.

“I’ve received a private message from Mrs. @char_osei clarifying that her land, which is close to the Asaase building, was purchased privately, like the property occupied by Asaase, from a private person, Berchie, back in 2007. Apologies for any reference erroneously attributed to her and retraction of the same,” he said.

It would be recalled that Charlotte Osei criticised Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko for involving her in his feud with the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the property housing his media house, Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited.

Gabby, a cousin of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, while reacting to a statement by the Lands Commission, which indicated that the property housing Asaase is not a subject of a suit filed by the Judicial Service of Ghana against the government as indicated by Ablakwa, smeared the immediate past chairperson of the EC.

He said that Ablakwa has intentionally turned a blind eye to properties sold by governments of his party in his ‘state capture’ exposés, including a property opposite Asaase Radio which he said was "sold off and now peacefully occupied by the immediate former chairperson of the Electoral Commission."

He claimed that a public servant was kicked out of that property.

Reacting to this in a post shared on X on September 11, 2024, Charlotte Osei told Gabby to stop lying and involving her in the issue.

She said that she had never benefited from state lands, adding that she bought the said property in a commercial transaction in 2007, which was way before she became a commissioner of the EC in 2015.

“Rich of you to complain about being lied on and yet tell blatant lies about another person. Please sue @S_OkudzetoAblak. I would love to do the same.”

I’ve received a private message from Mrs @char_osei clarifying that her land which is close to the Asaase building was purchased privately, like the property occupied by Asaase, from a private person, Berchie, back in 2007. Apologies for any reference erroneously attributed to…

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) September 12, 2024

Now that the Lands Commission has come out with further particulars and incontrovertible facts over the actual properties (BY SITE PLANS) involved in the law suit by the Judicial Service (see attached statement), which prove that the property occupied by Asaase was never a part… pic.twitter.com/Mk8IaMKfyV

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) September 12, 2024