NPP trying to bring down Asantehene with UN speech controversy – Asiedu Nketia

The controversy surrounding the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s comments regarding his counsel to a losing candidate in the 2016 elections is unwarranted, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia is also of the view that moves are being made to smear Asantehene.

“The NPP wants to present the fact about Otumfuo’s advise to [former] President Mahama to imply that, but for the advise, President Mahama would not have acted democratically. They think that by this action, they can bring down the image of Otumfuo but many of these objectives won’t be achieved by these vain arguments,” the NDC scribe said.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu in a speech at the United Nations conference over the weekend claimed that he persuaded an unnamed losing candidate to accept defeat after the polls.

Attention turned towards former President John Mahama, whose office has since said Asantehene was not involved in his decision to concede defeat in the 2016 polls.

Aside from downplaying the significance of the Asantehene’s comments, Mr. Asiedu Nketia also said the controversy was being brewed by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“I think that this hullabaloo is much ado about nothing. I believe it is an attempt by operatives of the NPP to divert the attention of the nation from the major burning issues facing the country.”

“I don’t think this statement Otumfuo made at the UN should be something that anybody should condemn and indeed, nobody has condemned it.”

He cited the struggle with Senior High School placement, the PDS scandal and the troubled voters register exhibition exercise as some issues the government is trying to divert attention from.