President Nana Akufo-Addo has succeeded in creating yet another buzz for himself ahead of coming Monday’s general elections like he did ahead of the 2016 general elections which saw him becoming President.
This time around, it is not a ‘Kalypo-drinking challenge’ but an ‘orange sucking challenge’ which has almost become the new craze and twist to his campaign.
It follows a video showing President Akufo-Addo sucking oranges from the top of his open-top vehicle during a drive-through in Bantama on his recent campaign tours of the Ashanti region.
In the said, he is seen taking an orange from a black polythene (takeaway) bag sucking it while lying on top of the moving vehicle, like nobody’s business whiles his body guards look on in the midst of his convoy.
Whiles at it, he was seen smiling and waving at the scores of supporters who had gathered not only by the shoulders of the road but besieged the road making the convoy drive at a snail pace in the thick crowd.
Even though it makes him come across like any ordinary everyday Ghanaian, some sought to use it to mock him, claiming it was unpresidential and defies courtesy and thus took to social media to run him down.
There and then, the ‘orange sucking challenge’ became an instant hit like his detractors and opponents sought to do when a picture of him drinking Kalypo fruit juice emerged ahead of the 2016 elections, making him a toast.
People have since jumped onto the new ‘orange sucking challenge’, making and posting pictures and videos of themselves sucking oranges on social media especially Facebook where there is an application for all to try.
What was meant to be a taunt at the President has since caught another fever for Akufo-Addo and the NPP’s campaign, making it an instance hit and the new craze in town.
Like him or hate him, President Akufo-Addo, a politician with over 40years experience in frontline politics has a way of attracting attention to himself as and when he wants.
Speaking at the launch of a book titled ‘Ghana’s Pride & Glory’ authored by veteran lawyer Aidoohene Chinbuah sometime in May 2017, he indicated, “As you all know, I’m somewhat of a historian myself – at least to the extent to which a person whose every pronouncement on our history provokes passionate controversy – can be said to be a historian,” drawing applause from the gathering.
Even though some consider being controversial a negative attribute, President Nana Akufo-Addo said, “But I relish it.”
His reason was simple “controversy and passion are illuminating; they are lights on the path for the truth and that has to be the goal.”
For now, his supporters are living and seem to be mocking their opponents who thought they could use the President’s orange-sucking video to run him and his campaign down with the ‘orange sucking challenge’ till after the elections.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent