Apraku Challenges Mahama Over Polls

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso North in the Ashanti region and leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku is up in arms against President John Mahama. The former MP criticized comments made by the president to the effect that the 2012 polls would go down in history as the most credible, transparent and free and fair polls ever organized by the EC in the country since 1992. The President, in his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, praised the Electoral Commission (EC) for organizing credible polls last year. But Dr. Apraku lambasted the president for making what he described as unfortunate remarks. According to him, he was surprised that President Mahama described the elections, which is being challenged in court, as the best polls organized by the EC in the fourth republic. Dr. Apraku stressed that it was inappropriate for the president to make lengthy comments about the elections before parliamentarians. Meanwhile, the people of Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, have descended heavily on President Mahama for delivering what they termed as a vague State of the Nation Address, which has no hope for the country. Scores of people that spoke to Daily Guide in Kumasi, said they were not impressed with the message of the president, noting that Ghana would not record any meaningful development this year. According to them, President Mahama, like other presidents from the NDC, only enumerated in the august House. Most residents of Kumasi applauded the NPP members in parliament for boycotting the State of the Nation address, saying it was a step in the right direction. The NPP would win the Supreme Court case so it would be wrong for the NPP members in parliament to sit for President Mahama, who would soon vacate office, to address them as President, they said.