Nii Samoa Addo slams NPP over ‘chauvinistic’ comments against Naana Opoku-Agyemang

A private legal practitioner and member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo has slammed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over comments the party made against Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang, running mate for the 2020 general election.

The former Minister for Education, was on Monday named by former President John Dramani Mahama as his running mate for this year’s presidential election.

Some bigwigs of the NPP subsequently criticised Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s nomination.

At a press conference in Accra, Communications Director of the NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoa said per the party’s observation, “we only conclude that the choice of Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman by Mr John Dramani Mahama is a clear indication that he does not take the Ghanaian electorate seriously”.

Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also watered down any possible impact the nomination of the former Education Minister will make in the December 7 Elections.

However, speaking on The Big Issue on Citi TV, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo indicated that he was surprised by the statements made by some members of the governing party.

“The reaction especially from our major political opponent, the NPP has been one that leaves much to be desired. If you have daughters you will begin to understand why some women activists fight the way they fight. Some of the statements have been shocking.”

“I traced it from the President’s statement from the SDGs conference because it is a DNA, and it tells you they are taking their source from somewhere. It tells you the structure of the party and their reaction to female empowerment and I hope Ghanaians are taking note. Last year there was a lot of fury when the President made that statement that he does not see enough dynamism and activism on the part of women in the country. This was the President at the SDGs conference making an observation, that in his opinion, women have not shown enough dynamism and activism…So should this not have been good news to them?” he asked.

Mr Samoa Addo further described the comments by members of the NPP on Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s appointment as chauvinistic.

“The first one was fired by the spokesperson of the NPP who categorically stated that Mahama does not take the Ghanaian electorates seriously. That was the most chauvinistic statement I could ever hear or imagine to come from my colleagues. He was very categorical that Mahama does not take the Ghanaian electorate seriously simply because he selected a woman his running mate. We thought that was the worst, then the majority leader comes to say that if the NDC should win power; in the absence of Mahama, Jane Naana is not qualified to be president simply because she is a woman.”