Acting General Secretary of UFP denies Odike’s suspension

Acting General Secretary of the United Front Party (UFP) has described as false a statement issued by a stalwart of the party that its founder, Akwasi Addai, has been suspended.

According to Mr Kojo Opoku, UFP Acting General Secretary, a press release issued by the party’s National Chairman, Nana Agyenim Boateng, that the party has decided to suspend its 2012 flagbearer “till further notice” lacks authority.

“I wish to state categorically that [the] press release was not factual since it lacks authority as far as the Constitution of the Party is concerned”, stated Mr Kojo Opoku in a release issued Sunday.

Akwasi Addai, popularly known as Odike, is reported to have rained curses on the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Chief Executive, Mr Kojo Bonsu, and the Chief of Asokwa, Nana Ofe Baamoah II following a minor dispute.

Describing the action as “appalling and an embarrassment to the image of our dear party” in an earlier statement, the National Chairman of the party alleged that the UFP National Executive Council (NEC) had unanimously suspended Odike.

The statement further instructed Odike to hand over all party property in his possession including vehicles used for the 2012 presidential campaign to Mr David Esie Bonya Director of Operations.

But in sharp rebuttal, the party’s Acting General Secretary stated that “Mr. Akwasi Addai Odike is still a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party as well as the Chief Founder of the United Front Party upon whose vision the Party was established.”

“This release seeks to render the earlier publication by the so called Nana Agyenim Boateng as useless, baseless, without accuracy and without merit”, the statement further clarified.

The Acting General Secretary of the Party also urged the public, media and party supporters to “ignore such propaganda and falsehood publications from Nana Agyenim Boateng because he is not an executive member of the Party”.