Kwesi Pratt details how Akufo-Addo allegedly ‘used’ Rawlings to divide NDC

Speaking at a lecture on the theme “Unpacking Ghana’s Democracy; Drawing from the 4th Republic” on Friday, September 15, 2023, the veteran journalist disclosed that in his attempt to become president, then-candidate Akufo-Addo realized that he had to create discord between the Rawlings arm of the NDC and the Mills/Mahama arm of the party.

He claims that Akufo-Addo, upon this realization, pitched camp with Rawlings and set him up against his party, the NDC.

Kwesi Pratt believes that by endorsing Rawlings as his ‘role model and friend’, President Akufo-Addo lost the moral right to condemn coups in West Africa since Jerry John Rawlings, in his view, is a beneficiary of coup.

“To be able to grab power he had to divide the NDC. He created confusion in the NDC so that he can manipulate to become president. He went to the house of Jerry Rawlings to praise Jerry Rawlings to high heavens and that he was his role model but if Jerry Rawlings isn’t a coup maker then who is? He went, praised him and said Rawlings had always been his role model. What right do you have to restore democracy in other countries,” he said.

Kwesi Pratt has been consistent with his criticism of ECOWAS over its approach to the coup incident in Niger.

According to him, most of the current leaders in the sub-region are beneficiaries of coups hence have no right to condemn the situation in Niger.

To him, the military deployment against Niger will embolden the Islamic insurgents, causing major havoc.

“If we fight these soldiers who are fighting against these Islamic insurgents, what would it do to the state of Islamic insurgency in the sub-region? It means we are going to kindle the terrorists.”

Mr. Pratt also stated that the United States has their second largest drone base in Niger, hence the ripple effect for West Africa will be huge should ECOWAS attack Niger.

“If you have the second largest drone base in the world there, what are the consequences likely to be?”, he asked, stressing “there is no wisdom in this fight”.