Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD) recently reflected on his early support for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the 2008 presidential campaign.
KOD, a prominent media and fashion figure, was instrumental in launching the “Believe in Ghana” platform, which aimed to leverage the creative arts to boost Nana Akufo-Addo’s campaign.
“That was in 2008. The platform that launched Nana’s campaign called Believe in Ghana,” he said. “I was one of the orchestrators of the platform.”
It all started when KOD “got a call from my great friend and brother Gabby Otchere-Darko,” who informed him Nana Akufo-Addo was going to run for office and “the platform he wants to use is the creative arts”. Later, “I had a conversation with Nana himself, His Excellency,” KOD added on Accra FM.
KOD shared that his involvement began when his close friend, Gabby Otchere-Darko, informed him about Akufo-Addo’s candidacy and his plan to utilize the creative sector for his campaign.
He then had a direct conversation with Akufo-Addo, who had a notable background in the arts and had maintained significant connections with artists like Fela Kuti and Hugh Masekela.
Impressed by Akufo-Addo’s apparent understanding of the creative economy and his promises to support the arts, KOD rallied behind him.
The campaign featured performances by various artists, including Kwabena Kwabena and Wutah, aiming to attract and engage voters through music.
“Everyone wants to go out and listen to music, so once they’re out, that platform was used to communicate to the people,” the Nineteen57 founder explained, noting, however, “It didn’t work [Akufo-Addo didn’t win the election].”
Despite the effort, Akufo-Addo did not win the election, and KOD decided to withdraw his support.
This decision stemmed not from the campaign’s failure but from personal challenges he faced, including tensions with colleagues at Radio Gold, where he worked at the time.
“After 2008, I took a backseat. After the Believe in Ghana project, that was it for me,” he said.
His reason was “not because the project failed” but “I went through something.
“Some of my colleagues at Radio Gold where I worked – [since] like a year after the station’s inception – were not too happy with me: ‘Kofi, you’ve always been with us and you went to support Nana Akufo-Addo’. So they proposed to kick me out. If it [Akufo-Addo’s campaign] had succeeded, I probably wouldn’t have gone back to Radio Gold so [the question was:] ‘Why come back?’” he recalled.
They were displeased with his political alignment, leading to potential repercussions at work.
Fortunately, his mentor, Kwasi Sainti Baffoe-Bonnie, intervened, and President John Atta Mills also offered support, acknowledging KOD’s right to support a different candidate.
“the great Prof Mills – His Excellency – also, said, ‘Kofi’s my son’. So if he’s supported one of the candidates – this man’s great heart tells him that: There were two great people running for the office of the land, and I chose one side. It’s okay if I didn’t support him.
“That’s what changed it for me. His [Prof Mills] heart,” KOD emphasized, explaining his permanent shift from supporting the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
KOD’s experience shifted his political allegiance from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), influenced by the kindness shown by President Mills.
Currently, KOD is an outspoken critic of Akufo-Addo’s presidency and serves as a creative arts spokesperson for the NDC’s 2024 campaign, advocating for John Dramani Mahama’s return to power.
He noted that while his political stance has cost him friendships, it has also marked a significant evolution in the openness with which individuals can express their political views.
“We’ve come a long way,” to a place where individuals can publicly declare their political beliefs with consequences minimal to yesteryears.
“If you look back, I was not as vocal, and visible as I am now,” he remarked.