Akwasi Addai Odike, the founder and leader of the United Front Party
•Odike is of the view that Kennedy Agyapong’s temperament does not make him a good candidate for the presidency
•He has advised him to be measured with public utterances
•Kennedy Agyapong is set to face the Privileges Committee of Parliament
Akwasi Addai Odike, the founder and leader of the United Front Party has said the Kennedy Agyapong’s temperament and public utterances will be the thwart heel in his presidential ambitions.
According to him, Kennedy Agyapong possesses the needed qualities to be the first gentleman of the land but his sometimes misguided comment has become an impediment in achieving such dreams.
Speaking on Nhyira FM, Akwasi Addai Odike said that Kennedy Agyapong’s consistent clashes with media practitioners cancel out the other qualities he believes elevate him to the presidential level.
“I thought initially that Kennedy Agyapong, whom I have so much respect for, will one day be elected to lead the NPP as flagbearer because he is truthful. But because of his present and past comments, he can never lead the NPP”, he disclosed.
“You must sometimes exercise patience and refrain from attacking journalists. Your impatience is gradually destroying your hard-won reputation. My brother, next time you are coming out with information, check it”, Odike said on Nhyira FM.
Kennedy Agyapong has been hauled before the Privileges Committee of Parliament for allegedly inciting the public against a journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor.
Alhassan Suhuyini, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, who first mentioned the issue in Parliament wants the committee to adopt a more punitive measure in dealing with Kennedy Agyapong.
“It is my hope that this [issue] will be looked at differently, and he will be seen as one that has engaged in many infractions and, perhaps, the mercies that he enjoyed previously may not be experienced. I also hope that the committee will approach this as a national issue and not a partisan issue,” he said on Citi FM.
“The aim is not to bastardise Kennedy Agyapong or portray him as a member of the NPP who deserves condemnation. The aim is to protect the life of Erastus Asare Donkor because when we failed to act in the case of Ahmed Suale, we all saw what happened and then again, encouraged responsible speech that brought about some respectability to the dignity of Parliament,” he added.
Meanwhile, an online petition for Kennedy Agyapong to strip off his position as Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament has pulled over ten thousand signatures.