Social media users are not happy with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent comment on the potential of a First Lady from the Zongo – a Muslim-dominated inner city.
The president pointed at a historic feat that could result should his Vice President win the 2024 presidential elections.
The lady in question is the current Second Lady, Samira Bawumia.
“If by the grace of God, Mahamadu Bawumia wins the presidency in December 2024, we will have a Zongo First Lady in Ghana,” Akufo-Addo declared in Nima, a suburb of Accra.
On Twitter (now X) the majority of commenters on GHOne’s video have challenged the president to give the exact importance of having a First Lady from the Zongo.
Some rhetorically quizzed whether Nima, one of the most popular Zongos in Ghana, has been any better in the last seven years that he (Akufo-Addo) a resident of the area, has been president.
X user by the name, @zaman_ijaz, retorted: “We had a Nima Zongo president and how did that work out for us?”
While another by the name @receiptsguy disputed the very point that Samira Bawumia could pass for a Zongo lady: “Calling someone who grew up in Tesano, one of the earliest “elite” neighborhoods in Accra a zongo lady? Why are they making up false realities to highlight things about Bawumia and his wife that aren’t true?”
For @OleleSalvador, the president may have appeared funny but his comments were not. “His sense of humor has dried up so bad, you can tell he can’t wait to stop speaking at such events lol.”
See some of the reactions below:
Felix Baidoo, @GhPRGuy: “The Nima resident who became president sacked those living close to his house and pimped the area in front of his house. That’s the only transformation that Zongo has seen in 7 years. Again, the Zongo Vice goes around making promises that never gets fulfilled.”
Dark Martha, @enyonvm: “That woman whose handbag can lift 50 families out of poverty is the one they’re trying to rebrand as zongo? The delulu and kululu are mixing up at this point”
C-Real, @C_RealMC: “What is the economic value of a Zongo First Lady? We need real conversations on our dwindling future and shattered economy. Not this nonsense political gibberish that’s trying to play at ethnic, religious and tribal strings. Do Better Sir.”
Dapper Queen Of Kings, @IvyEnyonam_: “8years ago y’all thought this was the smartest person on Earth. No script see your man.”
nyp. VI, @opammfo: “We’ve really done a very big mistake in making this guy fulfill his childhood dream. What a nonsense thing to say.”
Nana B. @koboateng: “He’s trolling. I can tell. A-Deezy!!”
YAW EDUFUL @yaw_eduful_: “Which Zongo did Samira Bawumia grow up in or live in Ghana? Forcing a false narrative on Zongos just for their votes”
Justice Okai-Allotey #QueerLivesMatter, @Owula_Kpakpo: “When you failed so much this is your campaign message.”
CharChar, @charkotey: “This is wild you know, instead of doing your job you’re campaigning for an election you’re not running in.”
Akufo-Addo speaks of his upbringing in Nima
Aside the Samira Bawumia history-making rise to First Ladyship, Akufo-Addo also spoke about his connection with Nima in a speech he delivered on December 17 at the coronation of a new paramount chief for Nima, Mohammed Saini Farl, also known as Nii Futa.
The president, whose private residence is in the Nima enclave, emphasized his connection with Nima, stressing how he had spent some of his happiest days as a young person in the Muslim-dominated area.
“Nii Futa has chosen this day to be henceforth known as Nima Day, it is a very important day in my life because it is the birthday of my mother, the 17th of December, and she was a big maghajia of Nima as you know.
“I grew up here, I came here when I was 12 years old, our father moved us here. I don’t think there is any part of this area that I don’t know, I know this area like the back of my hand. I enjoyed some of the happiest days of my youth right here in Nima.
“So it is important that I be here on such a day because I am one of you, because I, too, I am a Nima boy,” he stated to applause from the gathering.
Bawumia was on November 4 elected NPP flagbearer in the 2024 polls, his main contender will be former president John Dramani Mahama who is having his fourth straight jab at the presidency, having won his first try and losing the second and third attemps to Akufo-Addo.
We’ll have the first Zongo First Lady if Bawumia wins in 2024 – Akuffo Addo tells Nima residents.#GHOneNews pic.twitter.com/S2ZANKLIOO
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) December 17, 2023