Your Nkrumah comment: In the past where ghosts were powerful Kwame Nkrumah would've knocked NAPO down – Mahama

Former President, John Dramani Mahama has lambasted Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh over his ‘Your Kwame Nkrumah’ comment.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO at a political rally in Kumasi in July described the country’s first president as ‘your Nkrumah’ when he compared his achievement to sitting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“Since independence from 1957 till today, we’ve not had any president that has helped Ghana like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I say from 1957 till today, you can bring your Kwame Nkrumah... no president who has protected Ghana and moved the country forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he said.

These comments outraged many Ghanaians who condemned the running mate of NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Subsequently, he issued an apology and explained that it was not his intention to disrespect Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Sharing his view on the comments, John Dramani Mahama said it only shows how arrogant and disrespectful Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is.

He said if it was in the past where ghosts were powerful, NAPO would have been knocked down by the ghost of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

“The running mate for NPP, when they went and introduced him to Otumfuo, Otumfuo said we brought you up because you are part of the Manhyia palace. We brought you up. We hear you are arrogant but we hope you will prove people wrong. As soon as he left there not up to three hours he went and said ‘Your Kwame Nkrumah’. That is a very disrespectful thing to say about the Founder of this nation and especially a Founder who is no longer alive.

“You can insult me because I can respond because I’m alive but in our tradition, you don’t say evil things about the dead. You don’t disrespect the dead because they are not alive to respond to you. In the past ghosts were powerful. As he said that Nkrumah’s ghost would have knocked him down but now the ghosts have all become disarmed,” John Dramani Mahama said at a campaign rally.

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) further noted that recent utterances by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh show that he is arrogant and cannot hide it.