Akwasi Addai aka Odike
The flagbearer of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai aka Odike, has thrown his weight behind Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, leader of the main opposition party after withdrawing from the presidential race.
There is no point in vying for the position when there is clear evidence of scheming to get me out of the race with less than one month to the polls, according to him.
He intimated that he has found solace in the message of change of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate.
Mr. Akwasi Addai told Hello Fm, a Kumasi-based radio station, yesterday that he would hold a press conference on Monday to explain to why he was backing the candidacy of Nana Addo to the electorate.
He said the NPP and its leader would bring the needed change for Ghana to work again, adding that it would be suicidal to maintain the current status quo of joblessness, hardship and mismanagement.
But some activists of the governing party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) claimed Mr. Addai took the decision to avoid humiliation following a warning by lawyers of some executives of his party to the Electoral Commission (EC) not to consider his nomination.
Stephen Kwaku Saahene, National Organiser of UPP and some other executives, are challenging Odike’s membership of the party after they alleged that he was dismissed through a unanimous resolution of the National Executive Committee of the party on grounds of misconduct.
They also sought an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the EC from accepting the nomination forms of Odike who claimed he formed the party after parting ways with United Front Party over disagreements with the then National Chairman, Nana Agyanim Boateng aka Gyataba.
It would not be a worthwhile investment to continuously fight to be in the presidential race when my ideas and vision for the nation have been equally espoused by the NPP leader, who is better placed to win the election, Mr Akwasi Addai said.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi