Check Out: How NDC discounted Nana Addo in the 2016 election

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) prior to the just-ended 2016 elections underrated its closest contender, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a potential victor of the 2016 general election.

Months before the December 7 elections, some bigwigs and sympathisers of the now opposition NDC stated on various platforms how disadvantaged the NPP's Akufo-Addo was in his quest to become the 5th President of Ghana under the 4th republic.

Notable amongst those “negative” comments by some NDC bigwigs and sympathisers was a statement made by a famous Ghanaian business tycoon and a former Member of the Council of State, Dr. Alhaji Asuma Banda on TV3’s current affairs programme Hot Issues in 2015.

Alhaji Asuma Banda said, “The truth is he [Nana Akufo-Addo] can never be president… You see, to be a President, you must have certain structure, intelligence, people take certificates in the university to be intelligent, No! You must have wisdom. There are people in this country who want to even go to Parliament and they don’t have a sleeping place in that constituency and you want to be the father of the constituency”.

Below is a collection of some of those “negative” comments about President Akufo-Addo:

"Nana Addo can never be president and he knows it!"
  Omane Boamah (Metro TV)

"Nana Addo to become president is highly unlikely, he's divisive, arrogant and cannot match JM in any elections any day in Ghana!"
  Felix Kwakye Ofosu(TV3)

"He's a bad product and can't be patronized by Ghanaians any day. He should be changed if indeed the NPP really wants political power!"
  Alhaji Bature (Adom TV)

"I have known Nana Addo for a long time and can tell you he's not fit to be president any day in this country due to his violent posture!"
  Kwesi Pratt Jnr (TV Gold)

"Nana Addo killed his wife and sold properties belonging to his family members and syphoned party cash, he is too dangerous and we cannot entrust Ghana into his hands!"
  Kojo Twum Boafo (TV Gold)

"Nana Addo hates non-Akans especially Northerners and Voltarians and he presided over the sacking of an elected Northern Chairman of the NPP!"
  Kobby Acheampong(TV Gold)

He has no qualities to lead, he will sack chiefs from their Royal positions and he will kill for political power(all die be die) due to his desperation to become president!
  President John Mahama (Campaign trail)

“Nana Akufo-Addo has become very desperate, he’s 72 years; by Ghana’s laws when you’re sixty years you go on pension because your strength reduces. Nana is 72 years but still wants to contest for the presidency. Now, if you ask of his whereabouts...he campaigns for a week, then he goes abroad for two weeks. Ghanaians want a President who has the physical and mental capacity to govern the nation. Governance is a very strenuous exercise and you need a very strong personality who has enough strength to do the work. We don’t want to vote for a President who stays in Ghana for one week and spends the next two weeks in London. Why, is he building an annex of the Flagstaff House in London to work there?”.
Samuel Ofosu Ampofo (NDC rally in the Eastern Region)

I will fight with my last blood to prevent Nana Addo from becoming President.
–Alhaji Issah (NewDay, TV3)