Odike
The seizure of a Toyota Hilux belonging to Akwasi Addai aka Odike, the 2016 presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), has taken a fresh twist.
Nana Agyenim Boateng, popularly called Gyataba, founder and national chairman of the United Front Party (UFP), on whose party’s ticket Odike stood for the 2012 elections, popped up on Tuesday demanding the vehicle, insisting that it belongs to the UFP.
According to him, a philanthropist in Accra, whose name he would not disclose for obvious reasons, donated the vehicle to the UFP, prior to the 2012 presidential election, for the purpose of campaigning.
Gyataba told DAILY GUIDE that the said philanthropist handed the vehicle’s ignition keys to Odike, who was the then flagbearer of the UFP, “and I was present.”
“He handed the vehicle to the UFP and Odike, who was our flagbearer, received it on behalf of the UFP,” he pointed out, noting that the vehicle under contention belongs to the UFP and not Odike.
Odike suffered huge embarrassment when the Toyota Hilux, registered GM 4718-12, was snatched from him by Appiah Stadium and Francis Dodovi, known President Mahama boys, in Kumasi.
The incident, which attracted scores of curious people to the scene, occurred on Monday afternoon when Odike was at the lounge bar of a popular hotel cooling off.
Appiah Stadium and Francis Dodovi hired a towing van which towed the vehicle to the Central Police Station after their attempt to take the ignition key from Odike had failed.
The Mahama boys argued that President Mahama in 2012 ordered his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, to give the vehicle to Odike, who had given the president a firm promise of campaigning for the NDC in 2012.
Appiah Stadium said Odike, who had benefitted immensely from the NDC administration, including mouthwatering international trips with the president, refused to campaign for the NDC as promised.
He stated that what angered him most and impelled him to take the vehicle was Odike’s recent public outbursts on radio stations describing President Mahama as a visionless president.
Gyataba said he would go to the Central Police Station to demand the vehicle, pointing out that he would provide the necessary documentations to prove that it belongs to the UFP and not Odike.
The UFP chairman noted that ideally, Odike ought to have surrendered three vehicles, which the philanthropist gave to the UFP – which were in Odike’s possession – before he left the UFP to form the UPP.
Gyataba warned Odike to quickly hand over the two other UFP vehicles in his possession to him (Gyaba) by the end of October this year, else “I will use force to take the cars from him in his house.”
