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He has severally been touted among Ghana's foremost democrats, human rights activists and defenders of freedom of speech but what may have been hidden from many Ghanaians is that, the 2016 flag bearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party’s so-called credentials as a democracy campaigner is nothing but a made-up publicity stunt.

Even though it was during Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s tenure as Attorney General and Minister of Justice under the Kufuor administration that the criminal libel and seditious law was repealed in 2001, The aL-hAJJ can today reveal that the former Abuakwa South legislature was less enthusiastic towards the repeal of the law.

Party insiders have narrated to this paper how the twice defeated presidential candidate kicked against moves to repeal the law, but to no avail, only to reluctantly acquiesce to former President Kufuor’s insistence as it was among his major campaign promises in the run up to the 2000 elections.

An NPP kingpin who felt embarrassed and disappointed with recent media reports that Nana Akufo-Addo has won cases he personally brought against some media houses at the National Media Commission (NMC) for allegedly defaming him, disclosed to The aL-hAJJ; "the man doesn't believe in democracy and his so-called acclamation as human rights defender and believer in the rule of law is a fallacy... If Akufo Addo is a true democrat why did he go straight to the Media Commission when he could have first exercise his right for a rejoinder and apology as the constitution requires rather than going to the Media Commission and asking for “the severest punishment?”

“Do you recall how he (Nana Addo) impressed on former President Kufuor to pack the Supreme Court with ‘new’ judges to sit on the review panel of the Tsatsu case with the sole aim of ensuring Tsatsu lost the case, would you call such person a democrat?” he queried.

Speaking to this paper on strict condition of anonymity, the NPP guru, who played a key role in Kufuor administration but has been relegated to the background after Nana Akufo-Addo took over the leadership of the party, said the 72 year old flag bearer’s accolade as a defender of press freedom is cosmetic and only intended to bait Ghanaians and the international community into believing that he is a true democrat.

According to the NPP leading member, the processes that led to the eventual repeal of the criminal and seditious laws was as a result of former President Kufuor’s “personal commitment and the promise he made to the nation and which was incorporated in the NPP’s 2000 manifesto.”

He added that although it was Nana Akufo-Addo who laid the bill for the repeal of the law, he did that because he was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, adding that most top brass of the NPP knew he was not enthused about that enterprise.

Indeed, a memorandum on the bill presented to Parliament by Nana Akufo-Addo confirmed that the law was repealed to fulfill ex-president Kufuor’s campaign promise "…the purpose of the bill is to fulfill the promise of repeal, and thereby demonstrate the Kufour government's determination to make good its promise to the nation".
The criminal libel law was repealed in 2001 following the passage of the Criminal Code (Repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Laws (Amendment Bill), Act 2001.

The supposed world acclaimed press freedom fighter last week secured a ruling from the National Media Commission requesting five newspapers to retract and apologize to him (Nana Akufo Addo) for allegedly publishing stories defaming him.

To buttress the point been made by the NPP guru, and confirming Nana Akufo-Addo’s inner intent, his lawyer, Godfred Yeboah Odame last Monday on Citi FM threatened to drag the five newspapers to court if they fail to obey the ruling of the media commission.

Speaking on Citi Fm’s Eyewitness news, lawyer Odame said (they) “can have recourse to the law court... it is an option that we can go for…” if the media houses do not retract their comments.

Defending Nana Addo’s decision to sue the newspapers, Godfred Odame said Nana Addo was compelled to report the issue to the NMC because the said publication was “utterly false”.

“This is the very first time that he (Nana Addo) has decided to take this newspaper on whether in the realm of the Media Commission or in the law court …”

Akufo Addo’s lawyer further stated that “We sent various reminders to them. The Media Commission itself issued various reminders to the media and they were not able to come up with any substantiation…”
He argued “…when the NDC keeps on repeating the same nature or publication then of course he is human being so he will be definitely pressed to the wall and that is why he was compelled to go to the Media Commission.”