He said this among other things during a speech in Nima, a suburb of Accra, where he attended the coronation of the new paramount chief of Nima, Mohammed Saini Farl, aka Nii Futa.
“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 said.
He spoke about his connection with Nima and the significance of his attendance at the chief’s coronation.
“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, am a Nima boy,” he stated amid applause from the gathering.
However, a section of Ghanaians has taken issue with the President’s comment on this trending news update, saying it was demeaning to the Zongo communities.
Bawumia is the flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is seeking to become President of Ghana if he wins the 2024 election, and that makes his wife, Samira Bawumia the first lady.