Akufo-Addo Runs From Donald Trump

Went To America For 2016 Republican Convention But Hid Himself In Hotel

On July 19, a statement from his Press Secretary, Eugene Arhin, said the 2016 flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, has left Ghana for a visit to the United States and United Kingdom.

The statement did not say the purpose of the unexpected trip by Nana Addo, who had been touring parts of the country as part of his campaign to be elected president, ahead of the 2016 general elections.

But The Herald’s impeccable sources in both America and Ghana, and within the NPP, have told the paper, Nana Addo’s Monday July 18, departure from Ghana on a 10-day trip, was at the invitation of Donald John Trump, the controversial Presidential Candidate of the Republican party in the United States of America (USA).

The invitation was for the NPP Presidential Candidate to attend the Republicans National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland – Ohio, but although Nana Addo, was in the US after going through visa and other immigration formalities at the American Embassy in Accra on Donald Trump’s invitation, he did not show up at the convention.

The Republican Convention, commenced on July 18 and ended on July 21, with an endorsement of Donald Trump, but only an emissary of Nana Addo and the NPP by name Charles Owiredu, the party’s Director of International Affairs, was present.

Mr. Owiredu, who had spent the NPP’s cash on the trip, did not do anything significant, but spent the time taking photographs of himself and others.

The NPP, has a shared doctrine, the elephant symbol and red, blue and white colours of the Republican Party, whilst the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been linked to the Democrats in the US currently led by former First Lady, Hillary Clinton.

It is not clear, why the NPP flagbearer, does not want to have anything to do with the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, especially so when both of them are preaching and promising change in their respective countries, calling their respective presidents; John Dramani Mahama and Barack Obama, failures.

But it has been said that the Americans are likely to vote for the experienced Mrs. Clinton, who was once an aide worker, former First Lady, a Senator and a Secretary of State in the Obama administration, and Nana Addo, knowing the influence the American elections has on the Ghanaian one, is clearly distancing himself from Mr. Donald Trump, who is being described as belligerent, anti-black, anti-Islam, anti-Mexico, among others.

After shunning Mr. Donald Trump and the Republican Convention, Nana Addo, this paper gathered, went into hiding in his hotel, but with occasional meeting with NPP supporters to interact with them.

Unlike his unusual love for the likes of Nigeria’s Mohammed Buhari and Ivory Coast’s Allasani Wattara, the 72-year old Nana Addo, has managed to shy away from Mr. Trump, 70, despite their respective calls for change in the leadership style of their respective countries.

Indeed, not even on a single instance, has Nana Addo or the NPP, mentioned Mr. Trump, who had said “Change in leadership is required to produce a change in outcomes”.

International relations experts have said that Nana Addo and the NPP, are not in the best of terms with the Obama administration, because of the two Guantanamo Bay detainees; Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih al-Dhuby.

The two, were released to Ghana under protective custody, based on diplomatic arrangement between the Mahama and Obama administrations, after 14 years without trial.
The Mahama administration, accepted them on compassionate grounds, and they are to be in Ghana for a period of two years.

Nana Addo, has since returned to Ghana to prepare for the vigorous campaign ahead of the December 7, 2016, presidential and parliamentary elections.

He could not attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which chose the ruling party’s nominees for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States in the 2016 national election.

It began on July 25, 2016, and concluded on July 28, 2016, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, exactly one week after the 2016 Republican National Convention in Ohio.

Ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first female major party presidential candidate. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, won the vice presidential nomination by acclamation as Mrs. Clinton’s running mate.

Present at the convention, was her primary rival, Bernie Sanders, along with President Barack Obama and other major party leaders.