Former Deputy Secretary for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has faulted the party’s flagbearer, John Mahama for not laying a wreath for his late boss, John Evans Atta Mills during the party’s memorial service to celebrate the late President
The event held at the Asomdwee Park in Accra took place on Wednesday, July 24.
In a post on X, Mr Anyidoho shared a visual where the running mate of the NDC flagbearer, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, laid a wreath on behalf of her boss.
Peeved by this move, Mr Anyidoho asked the statesman why he did so. He accused Mr Mahama of pretending to love the late Atta Mills when he was alive.
“So, after the noise and filibustering to create unnecessary heat – pretending to love his late boss, why did he run away from laying the wreath and made grandma do it on his behalf? I thought he would be bold enough to do it himself and dare his fate! God is alive,” he wrote on August 12, 2024.
The confusion erupted after Koku Anyidoho overran his scheduled time, delaying the second NDC event at the venue to mark 12 years since President Mills’ passing.
Two wreath-laying ceremonies were planned for the day to commemorate the late former President, who died at the 37 Military Hospital in 2012.
The first event, organized by Mr. Anyidoho, ran over its scheduled time, causing delays for the second event organized by the NDC and the JEA Mills Memorial Heritage.
According to the late President’s brother, Samuel Atta-Mills, Koku Anyidoho bused in individuals he labeled as fake family members and instructed them to remain, preventing the NDC from starting its program on time.
Addressing the incident, the sister of former President Atta Mills, Mercy Araba Ahema Quarshie, described the situation as ugly and disgusting. She insisted that the persons at the earlier ceremony were not their relatives.
“I want to make it clear to everyone that Koku Anyidoho has stepped on the wrong foot by tampering with our brother’s grave without our knowledge. That is unacceptable, and now we are going to deal with him because it is a taboo in our family to do that,” Quarshie stated.
The family of the late president emphasized the importance of consulting them before making any decisions related to the late president’s resting place, condemning Mr. Anyidoho’s actions as disrespectful and unacceptable.